What apartments actually cost in Georgia
Average $1,395–1,500 per square metre in Tbilisi and Batumi, plus the costs nobody quotes: finishing, furniture, service charges, valuation and legal fees.
The headline numbers
Averages hide an enormous range. In the same city and the same month you will find $700 per square metre in an outer district and $3,000 per square metre for a finished first-row sea-view apartment in a branded tower. The average is useful for one thing only: telling you whether a price you have been quoted is roughly in the market or nowhere near it.
The costs that are never in the price list
- Finishing, if the apartment is sold as white or green frame — roughly $250–450 per m² depending on standard. On a 60 m² apartment that is $15,000–27,000, and it is not optional if you intend to let.
- Furniture and appliances — a short-let apartment needs a full fit-out, not a sofa.
- Service charges — a branded tower with a pool, spa, reception and security costs meaningfully more per month than an old block, every month, whether or not the apartment is occupied.
- Certified valuation — $100–300, essential if residency is your reason for buying.
- Your own lawyer — a few hundred dollars, the best value in the entire transaction.
- Registration fee at the Public Registry — small, but budget it.
What moves the price per metre
- Distance from the sea in Batumi — first row against second row is the single largest step in the city.
- Finished or frame. Comparing a finished price to a white-frame price is the most common way people convince themselves one building is cheap.
- Floor and view.
- Whether balcony and terrace area is counted in the quoted square metres. This is where the per-metre price quietly shifts by 10–15% between two developers who look like they are quoting the same thing.
- Handover date. A 2029 delivery should be materially cheaper than a finished building, because you are carrying the risk and losing the income until then.
Common questions
How much is a residency-qualifying apartment?
It must appraise at $150,000 or more. At around $1,500 per square metre that is roughly a 100 m² apartment, or a smaller one in a premium building. Buying at exactly $150,000 leaves no margin if the valuation comes in low.
Are prices still rising in 2026?
Batumi agents report 8–10% annual growth and Colliers expected no decrease through 2026. New supply is arriving, which they judged is offset by banks financing fewer new projects. Treat it as a forecast, not a promise.
What does it cost to finish a white-frame apartment?
Roughly $250–450 per square metre depending on the standard you want. Get a written scope and a fixed price from a contractor before you commit to a frame purchase.
Figures checked September 2026 against Colliers Georgia, Galt & Taggart, TBC Capital and Georgian government sources. Rules change; confirm anything you are about to act on.