My Pre-Trip Prep Headache
Man, I spent like a whole week just digging around trying to figure out a real number for a Georgia and Armenia trip. Everyone online was like, “Oh yeah, super cheap!” but gave zero actual numbers. Frustrating! So I decided screw it, I’ll go myself and track every single damn coin spent. Grabbed a fresh notebook just for receipts.
Flights & First Steps
Scored a flight deal to Tbilisi for $420 return last minute. Landed feeling exhausted but pumped. Changed $300 USD to Lari at the airport – rates were crap, should’ve waited downtown, rookie move. Lesson learned right there. Got a cheap Bolt taxi to my hostel ($6) and crashed hard. Next morning? Mission: Get a SIM card. Found a small shop, unlimited data for a month? Just $9! Winner.
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Day 1 Costs:
- Airport Taxi: $6
- Hostel Bed (per night): $12
- Khachapuri Lunch: $4
- Local Wine (Don’t judge, it was cheap!): $3
Figuring Out Transport
Okay, moving around. Shared minibuses? Marshrutkas. Sounds weird, works great. Tbilisi to Kutaisi? Like a $7 ride, squished but fine. Buses between towns were confusing at first. You basically just ask locals where the bus stops are – no fancy apps, just point and mumble. Yerevan from Tbilisi? Took an overnight train. Bought a bunk bed ticket for $17. Slow, kinda bumpy, but hey, it worked.
Accommodation Surprises
Hostels were mostly good. Found places averaging $12-$15 a night. Mostly clean, met cool people. But! In Yerevan, booked a hostel online showing a nice courtyard… showed up? Tiny basement room smelling faintly of damp socks. Ugh. Bargained the price down from $15 to $11 though. Persistence pays off. Guesthouses in smaller villages were cheaper, around $10, often included basic breakfast (bread, jam, coffee – lifesaver).
Eating Like a Local
Biggest saver: Eating local, avoiding tourist spots. Found hole-in-the-wall bakeries selling giant Khinkali (dumplings) for like $1.50 for 5! Markets were gold. Fresh lavash bread for pennies, cheese, tomatoes – instant cheap picnic. Restaurant meals? Aimed for local joints. A proper khinkali/kebab feast with local beer rarely topped $10. The posh places? Double that easy. Stuck to water or cheap house wine.
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Average Daily Food Cost:
- Breakfast (Hostel bread or market fruit): $1-2
- Lunch (Simple Khinkali/Shawarma/Lunch Plate): $3-5
- Dinner (Local Restaurant or Market Picnic): $5-8
- Snacks/Water: $2
Attractions & Oops Moments
Many churches and old stuff? Free! Monastery hikes? Free! Just walked. Awesome. Did pay for some entrance fees – Garni Temple was $3, some museums $5-$8 tops. My splurge was a group tour to Kazbegi from Tbilisi. Cost $35, included transport and guide. Worth it? Yeah, saved the hassle. Biggest oops? Forgot cash going up to Tatev Monastery cable car. Had to beg a Dutch guy for spare Euros to pay the $8 fare. Awkward. Always. Carry. Cash.
The Final Count (After 17 Days)
Okay, here it is, every cent added up after 17 days across both countries:
- Flights: $420
- Accommodation (17 nights avg $13): $221
- Food & Water (avg $12/day): $204
- Transport (All buses, trains, taxis): $85
- Attractions/Tours: $55
- Visa (Easy e-visas for Armenia): $6
- SIM Cards/Stuff: $15
TOTAL: $1,006 USD
So yeah, just over a grand for over two weeks. Definitely doable on a tight budget! Key things? Local eats, marshrutkas/public transport, hostels/guesthouses, and avoiding the fancy spots. Was it always comfy? Nope. Always easy? Hell no. But it was an adventure, and the bill proved it can be crazy affordable. Here’s my messy expense notebook pic for proof!