Money, ATMs & Tipping in Georgia: The Practical Guide

Georgia is cheap, cash-friendly, and increasingly card-friendly too. But there are traps that will cost you money if you're not paying attention — ATMs that silently charge fees, exchange offices that look identical but offer wildly different rates, and a tipping culture that confuses even long-term residents. Here's everything you need to know to avoid leaving money on the table.

The Georgian Lari

The Lari (₾) has been Georgia's currency since 1995. The name comes from an old Georgian word meaning "hoard" or "property," and tetri means "white" — a reference to ancient silver coins. You'll see denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 Lari banknotes, plus 1 and 2 Lari coins and smaller tetri coins (5, 10, 20, 50).

The Lari is reasonably stable, hovering between 2.5–2.8 to the dollar for the past few years. It's not a currency you need to worry about crashing overnight. That said, it's not freely convertible outside Georgia — so don't try to buy Lari at your home bank. Just get it when you arrive.

ATMs: Where, Which, and How Much They'll Cost You

ATMs are everywhere in Tbilisi and other cities. You'll find them inside banks, outside pharmacies, in shopping malls, and at metro stations. In smaller towns, they're less common but still present. If you're heading to remote mountain areas like Tusheti or upper Svaneti, withdraw everything you need before you leave civilization.

Here's the thing nobody warns you about: not all Georgian ATMs are created equal. Some charge zero fees on their end. Others quietly skim 3–7 GEL per withdrawal without telling you upfront. Over a two-week trip, that adds up.

Your best strategy: find a Basis Bank ATM when you arrive and withdraw a larger amount to minimize trips. Their green-branded machines are common in central Tbilisi. Liberty Bank has the most ATMs across the country, including smaller towns, and is also fee-free.

Cards & Digital Payments

Georgia has come a long way from being cash-only. In Tbilisi and Batumi, you can pay by card almost everywhere — restaurants, supermarkets, cafés, pharmacies, even some taxis. Visa and Mastercard are universally accepted. American Express works at higher-end places but isn't reliable day-to-day.

That said, cash is still king in certain situations:

Apple Pay and Google Pay work at most card terminals in cities. Contactless payments are standard. You'll also encounter QR code payment in some places (via Georgian bank apps), but that's only useful if you have a local bank account.

One quirk: some restaurants have a minimum card payment amount, usually 10–20₾. If you order a 5₾ coffee, be prepared to pay cash.

Exchanging Money

Exchange offices are scattered across Tbilisi like pharmacies — sometimes two or three on the same block. They display rates on LED boards outside, and no, they're not all the same. The difference between a good and bad exchange office can be 3–5% of your total.

The golden rules of exchanging money in Georgia:

• Skip the airport. Tbilisi airport exchange rates are consistently 5–10% worse than city rates. Grab 50–100₾ from an ATM at arrivals to cover your taxi, and exchange the rest downtown.
• Compare the LED boards. Walk past two or three offices before committing. The buy/sell spread tells you the real cost.
• No commission ≠ good rate. Some offices advertise "0% commission" but bake the fee into a worse exchange rate. Always calculate what you're actually getting per dollar.
• Count your money before leaving. Not because scams are common (they're not), but because mistakes happen. It takes 10 seconds.
• Bring clean bills. Torn, marked, or heavily worn notes may be refused or exchanged at worse rates.

How Much Cash to Carry

This depends on your travel style, but here's a realistic breakdown:

If you're sticking to Tbilisi and Batumi with a card, you could technically survive on 20–30₾ cash per day — just enough for markets, tips, and the occasional cash-only spot. But if you're heading to villages, trekking in Svaneti, or taking marshrutkas, carry everything you'll need in cash. There's no ATM in Ushguli.

Tipping Etiquette

Tipping in Georgia is genuinely optional — and I mean that. It's not like the US where skipping a tip is a social crime. Georgia has no tipping culture in the American sense. Service workers earn a salary, not tips. That said, tipping has become more common in tourist areas, and leaving something for good service is appreciated.

One cultural note: if you're invited to someone's home for a meal (which happens more often than you'd think in Georgia), never offer money. Bringing a gift — wine, sweets, flowers, or something from your home country — is the right move. Offering cash for a home-cooked meal would be genuinely insulting.

Budgeting Your Trip

Georgia remains one of Europe's best-value destinations, though prices have crept up noticeably since 2022. Tbilisi is no longer "dirt cheap" — it's just regular cheap compared to Western Europe. Here's what things actually cost:

Common Money Mistakes

Money Outside Tbilisi

The financial infrastructure thins out fast once you leave major cities. Here's what to expect:

Safety & Scams

Georgia is remarkably low on financial scams targeting tourists. There's no organized pickpocketing scene like in Barcelona or Rome. No fake ATM skimmers (at least not yet). No elaborate money-changing cons. The worst you'll encounter:

• Taxi overcharging: Unlicensed taxi drivers at the airport or train station quoting inflated prices. Solution: use Bolt. Always.
• Exchange rate confusion: A tourist office with a great-looking rate that's actually the "sell" rate, not the "buy" rate. Make sure you're reading the right column.
• ATM skimming: Extremely rare, but use ATMs inside bank branches rather than standalone street machines if you're worried.
• Counterfeit bills: Almost nonexistent. The Lari has decent security features (watermark, holographic strip, color-shifting ink on newer notes).

Generally, your biggest financial risk in Georgia is overpaying for a taxi at the airport. That's about it.

Frequently Asked Questions