2026-09-23
Georgia's currency is the Georgian lari (GEL), at the time of writing about 2.7 lari to the US dollar and about 0.72 lari to the Saudi riyal. How much money do you need per day in Georgia? About 30 to 50 USD per person covers what the package does not: meals other than breakfast, entrance tickets and small purchases. The car with driver, fuel, parking and the airport transfer are paid to us on arrival in Georgia in cash, dollars or lari, with no prepayment, pay on arrival, so your daily money covers only what the family consumes.
All figures below are approximate and were last checked in September 2026. To price the whole trip, use work out the cost of your trip.
Georgia currency: the lari and the exchange rate
The lari (₾, 100 tetri) is the only currency accepted in shops and restaurants; dollars, riyals and dirhams are exchanged first. In September 2026, 100 USD was about 270 GEL, 1,000 SAR about 720 GEL and 1,000 AED about 730 GEL. Quick rule: divide a lari price by three for dollars, or add 40 percent for riyals. Rates move daily; check the day's rate before you exchange.
Exchanging money in Georgia
Bring US dollars in clean, newer-series notes: they get the best rate everywhere. Riyals and dirhams are taken by some bureaus in central Tbilisi at a worse rate, so convert to dollars at home.
- At the airport: only enough for the first day; the rate is worse.
- In the city centre: a better rate, often no commission on dollars. Compare two boards and count the notes.
- ATMs: everywhere in the cities, taking Visa and Mastercard; always choose to be charged in lari.
- With our driver: he knows the reliable bureaus and stops at one on the way.
Cards or cash in Georgia
Visa and Mastercard are accepted in hotels, malls, supermarkets and most restaurants in Tbilisi and Batumi, and Apple Pay works wherever cards do. Cash is still needed in villages and mountain areas such as Kazbegi, in markets, small cafés and street stalls, and for tips.
Our rule: card in the hotel, malls and larger restaurants, and about 100 to 200 lari in cash per day, especially in the mountains. Tell your bank you are travelling, and check the bill before tipping: some restaurants add a 10 percent service charge.
Food prices in Georgia and the cost of a tourist day
Is Georgia expensive? Compared with the Gulf, no. Typical prices, checked in September 2026:
| Item | GEL | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle of water | 1–2 | 0.4–0.75 |
| Coffee | 6–12 | 2–4.5 |
| Khinkali (each) | 1.5–2.5 | 0.5–1 |
| Khachapuri | 15–25 | 5.5–9 |
| Restaurant meal, per person | 30–60 | 11–22 |
| Dinner for a family of four | 120–200 | 45–75 |
| Bolt ride inside Tbilisi | 5–15 | 2–5.5 |
| Tbilisi cable car | 2.5 | about 1 |
| SIM card with data | 10–30 | 4–11 |
| Cave or canyon ticket, adult | 20–30 | 7.5–11 |
| Gudauri ski pass, day | 70–90 | 26–33 |
Every booking with us includes a SIM with open internet for a week. Halal restaurants charge roughly the same; see Halal Food in Georgia: Tbilisi and Batumi Restaurant Guide.
How much money do I need per day in Georgia: a couple's budget
A couple in a hotel with breakfast and our car and driver all day:
| Item | GEL | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|
| Lunch for two | 50–80 | 19–30 |
| Dinner for two | 80–120 | 30–45 |
| Coffee, water and snacks | 20–30 | 7–11 |
| Entrance tickets | 10–40 | 4–15 |
| Evening Bolt | 10–20 | 4–7 |
| Tips | 10–15 | 4–6 |
| Total for the couple | 180–305 | 67–113 |
That is about 35 to 55 USD per person per day, or 250 to 425 SAR for the couple; seven days needs about 500 to 800 USD on top of the car and hotel paid on arrival.
A daily budget for a family of four
Two parents and two children aged six and ten, in a hotel with breakfast and a minivan with driver:
| Item | GEL | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|
| Lunch for the family | 100–150 | 37–56 |
| Dinner for the family | 120–200 | 45–75 |
| Drinks, ice cream and snacks | 30–50 | 11–19 |
| Entrance tickets for four | 40–80 | 15–30 |
| Tips | 15–25 | 6–9 |
| Total for the family | 305–505 | 113–187 |
That is about 28 to 47 USD per person per day, or 425 to 700 SAR for the family; ten days needs about 1,100 to 1,900 USD. A fuller calculation is in How Much Does a Family Trip to Georgia Cost? 2026 Prices; shopping days are extra and covered in Shopping in Georgia: Tbilisi and Batumi Markets, Prices 2026.
What stays out of your daily spending with Hawa Georgia
The daily budget is low because the biggest items are paid once, on arrival. The private car with an Arabic- or English-speaking driver is priced per car, not per person (see Arabic-Speaking Driver in Georgia: Price per Car, No Deposit): sedan 85 USD a day, minivan 100, van 140, Sprinter 240, with 5 percent off from seven days and 10 percent from fourteen, so a sedan for seven days costs 565 USD and a minivan 665 USD, including fuel, tolls, parking, the driver's lodging and both airport transfers. Hotels are optional, from our approved hotels, and you see the whole-stay total with breakfast: six nights in a double room from 594 USD in a four-star and 1,194 USD in a five-star in low season, or from 1,188 USD in a four-star for a family of four in two rooms; the hotel is chosen at confirmation by availability.
Everything is paid on arrival in Georgia: car with hotels in full, driver only day by day, in cash in dollars or lari; card payment only as a bank transfer to the company's official account. No deposit before you fly; cancellation is free with 48 hours' notice (72 with hotels), per the terms. See How Much Does a Driver in Georgia Cost? 2026 Prices for full pricing, What a Driver's Price in Georgia Includes and Excludes for a market comparison, and work out the cost of your trip for a figure in your currency.
Frequently asked questions
What is the currency of Georgia, and are dollars accepted in shops?
The Georgian lari. Shops do not take dollars or riyals; change them at a bureau or use an ATM. Dollars are accepted only when you settle our invoice on arrival.
How much money do I need per day in Georgia?
About 30 to 50 USD per person per day for meals other than breakfast, tickets and small purchases; car, driver and hotel are paid separately on arrival.
How many lari is a Saudi riyal?
In September 2026 about 0.72 lari, so 1,000 riyals is about 720 lari. The rate changes daily, and dollars get a better rate.
Can I pay by card everywhere in Georgia?
In hotels, malls, supermarkets and most city restaurants, yes. You need cash in villages, the mountains, markets and for tips: about 100 to 200 lari a day.
Is Georgia expensive compared with the Gulf?
No. A restaurant meal is about 30 to 60 lari per person and dinner for four 120 to 200 lari; hotel and car remain the largest items; our car costs the same all year, and the hotel stay total is higher in high season.
Is tipping compulsory in Georgia?
No. Five to ten percent in restaurants is appreciated when no service charge is on the bill; a tip for the driver is optional and never requested.
Book your driver and plan your spending money
Fix the car and the hotel at a published price, and carry only your daily money in dollars. Send your name, arrival date and flight number on WhatsApp to +995 550 000 663 and the booking is confirmed: no prepayment, pay on arrival in Georgia in cash, dollars or lari. Work out the cost of your trip gives the full figure in your currency, and Georgia Family Tour 7 Days is a ready example for a family week.