What is Samgori?
Samgori is Tbilisi's largest district by area and its eastern gateway: the Kakheti Highway, the international airport, the Lilo market and a long belt of industry all lie within it, alongside the housing estates of Varketili and Mesame Masivi. It is also the cheapest district for new flats in Geostat's figures, and Galt & Taggart records the lowest average rent of any zone in the city. For a buyer, Samgori is less one neighbourhood than five very different ones that share a name.
The figures from the city's air quality plan put the district at 128.4 km², about a quarter of Tbilisi's area, with 177,844 residents at the 2014 census, or about 1,385 per km². Under Tbilisi City Council's decision No 16-35 of 2014 it has five units: 17 Varketili, 18 Mesame Masivi ("Third Massif"), 19 Orkhevi and Aeroporti, 20 Lilo and 21 Kvemo Samgori. Varketili has its own guide; this page covers the district as a whole and the four other units in more detail.
Map and boundaries
Samgori fills the eastern end of Tbilisi, from Javakheti Street and Moscow Avenue on the Isani side out past the airport and Lilo to the city line, and from the Tbilisi Sea in the north down to the Mtkvari in the south.
Open the mapThe Kakheti Highway is the line to learn. North of it, between Javakheti Street and Tvalchrelidze Street, lies Mesame Masivi, with Varketili above it towards the reservoir. South of it, from Javakheti Street east to the Lochini river and down to the Mtkvari, is Kvemo Samgori, the industrial and rail belt that includes the Afrika area. Further east, unit 19 wraps round Orkhevi, the airport and the land up to the eastern shore of the Tbilisi Sea, and unit 20, Lilo, takes the far end of the city, including the villages of Didi Lilo and Patara Lilo. By our measurement of OpenStreetMap outlines, Orkhevi-Aeroporti and Lilo together cover about three quarters of the district's land.
Two names cause confusion. Samgori metro station, Samgori Mall and the Samgori bus station are on the Isani side of the line, in that district's Navtlughi unit, so they are covered in our Isani guide. And the "Rustaveli Street" in the official description of Lilo is a local street near the airport, not the avenue in the city centre. The ss.ge filter called "Samgori" also mixes Moscow Avenue in Isani with streets south of the highway, so check where an advertised flat really stands.
Who Samgori suits
Suits
- Buyers with the smallest budget for a flat inside the city.
- People who fly often or work at the airport, the market or in logistics.
- Buyers who want a house with a yard rather than a flat, in Orkhevi or Lilo.
- Investors in warehouse or trade land along the Kakheti Highway.
Does not suit
- Anyone who needs the metro outside Varketili and Mesame Masivi.
- Buyers sensitive to aircraft, trucks and industrial neighbours.
- Short-stay investors expecting tourists to stay near the airport.
Plain, airfields and factories
The Georgian Encyclopedia describes the land as the Samgori plain, open ground where the average wind speed is about 6 to 7 m per second, against 3 to 4 in most of the city. The Tbilisi Sea, also called the Samgori reservoir, has worked since 1953 as the regulator of the Samgori irrigation system and now also supplies drinking water. Georgian Wikipedia says Orkhevi grew from 1948 as the base of the trust that built that irrigation system.
Aviation shaped the district early. According to the encyclopedia, Tbilisi's first airfield opened in 1923 on the site of the "3rd housing massif", today's Varketili-1, and in 1933 a proper airport was built at Kvemo Alekseevka, where today's airport stands. The present terminal, built by TAV Georgia, opened in February 2007. The Tbilaviamsheni aircraft plant was set up in 1941, built Soviet jet fighters after the war and has made Su-25 attack aircraft since 1978; OpenStreetMap places it in Kvemo Samgori.
The housing estates came later. The encyclopedia lists Mesame Masivi among the residential massifs built from the 1960s to the 1980s, and the Lilo settlement began to grow in the 1950s as an industrial area. The Lilo market was founded in 1991 under the name "Elsavako" and renamed Lilo Mall in 2011. Isani and Samgori were once a single Isani-Samgori district; the present map of 10 districts dates from a city council decision of January 2013.
What property costs
Galt & Taggart publishes one Samgori zone for the whole district, so its figures blend Varketili's towers with Lilo's five-storey blocks. Geostat's district figures do the same.
| Figure | Value | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| New flats, July 2026 | USD 1,178 per m² | Range USD 850 to 1,733; 721 sales in the month |
| New flats, 2025 average | USD 1,065 per m² | 6,049 sales in the year |
| Average rent, July 2026 | USD 8.5 per m² a month | Lowest of 12 zones; city USD 10.1 |
| Geostat median, new flats | GEL 3,680 per m² | Lowest of 10 districts |
| Geostat median, houses | GEL 2,992 per m² | 7th of 10 districts |
| Two-room rent outside Varketili | GEL 1,000 to 1,300 a month | Asking, 45 to 60 m² |
Sales are high: Samgori had 4,082 flat sales in the first seven months of 2026, the third most after Didi Dighomi and Saburtalo. By our arithmetic, the July average was about 17% below the city's USD 1,426 per m², and the zone's rent against its price points to a gross yield of about 8.7%, a figure that mixes rents on all stock with new-flat prices. See how this compares in our page on rents by district.
Asking prices on ss.ge on 22 October 2026 by area, from about 75 ads we read: Lilo about USD 776 to 1,450 per m², Orkhevi USD 929 to 1,380, the Airport settlement USD 1,010 to 1,440, Afrika and Kvemo Samgori USD 944 to 1,750 and Mesame Masivi USD 1,000 to 1,770. Small Soviet two-room flats of 34 to 53 m² typically asked USD 45,000 to 65,000.
The units one by one
Mesame Masivi. The busiest resale market in the district, with Soviet nine-storey blocks, the "Zemo Plato" (Upper Plateau) and new towers on Giorgi Abashvili Street. A two-room 53 m² flat on the 3rd floor of a 14-storey block there asked USD 93,000, while a 3-room 85 m² flat on Kaloubani Street asked USD 85,000. Varketili metro is officially inside this unit, so flats on its western side are the best connected in Samgori.
Orkhevi. A low-rise area of two- to five-storey houses and blocks north of the highway, near the airport. On Chantladze Street, a converted 34 m² flat asked about USD 46,000, and a 70 m² three-room flat with 3.8-metre ceilings asked USD 65,000. Houses are common: a 105 m² house with a 400 m² yard asked USD 100,000.
The Airport settlement. Flats of 36 to 74 m² asked USD 47,000 to 75,000, and a new one-storey house of 170 m² asked USD 160,000. The terminal is about 1.8 km away by our straight-line measurement.
Lilo. The cheapest flats we saw, such as a 67 m² two-room flat on the ground floor of a five-storey block on the Kakheti Highway at USD 52,000, sit beside newer blocks of up to 22 storeys on Evgeni Apkhazava Street. Land is plentiful: plots along the highway asked mostly USD 60 to 160 per m².
Kvemo Samgori and Afrika. South of the highway, near the marshalling yard, two-room flats of 40 to 45 m² on Besarion Chichinadze Street asked USD 42,500 to 45,000, while a 120 m² flat on the 15th floor of a 16-storey block on Kindzmarauli Street asked USD 210,000.
New projects outside Varketili
Most of the 45 Samgori developments on korter.ge are in Varketili, but a few larger projects are elsewhere. Urban East by White Square at 63 Kakheti Highway has 16 floors and 308 flats, from USD 1,145 per m², with no delivery date shown. East Project by Idea City at 8 Tvalchrelidze Street plans three 11-storey blocks with 320 flats; block A is due in the first quarter of 2027, from USD 1,250 per m² in green frame. Chichinadze Street by Index at 12 Kindzmarauli Street in Afrika has two 16-storey blocks due in the fourth quarter of 2028, from USD 880 per m² in white frame. We found no named developer building in Lilo, Orkhevi or the Airport settlement. Galt & Taggart counted about 110,000 m² of residential permits in Samgori in the first seven months of 2026. Check any developer with our developer checklist.
Getting around
Varketili is the only metro station inside the district, opened on 9 December 1985 as the end of Line 1. Orkhevi, Lilo and most of Kvemo Samgori are several kilometres from it, so buses, minibuses and cars carry most residents. The Kakheti Highway runs through the whole district from Isani to Lilo and on towards Kakheti.
Bus 337 links Station Square with the airport through the city centre and along the Kakheti Highway, and the airport's own guide gives the GEL 1 fare with 90 minutes of free transfers. A 17.3 km rail line from the Central Station has served the airport since 2008. By our straight-line measurement, Mesame Masivi is about 7.1 km from Freedom Square and Lilo about 15.2 km. The city's 2026 budget includes a cable car between Samgori and Vazisubani, which, by an earlier account from the mayor, would start from Samgori metro on the Isani side.
The airport itself is growing. In July 2026 the prime minister launched an expansion in which TAV Georgia is to invest more than USD 150 million to raise capacity to 10 million passengers a year. The government also plans a new airport at Vaziani, outside the city, for 2031, though a government plan quoted by Georgia Today mentions 2029. We found no official plan for the current airport land after such a move.
Markets, schools and services
- Lilo Mall. The Georgian Encyclopedia calls it one of the largest trading centres in the South Caucasus: 35 hectares and up to 6,000 trading units, with 22% of the revenue of all markets in Georgia in 2022. Lilo City, a second market, is nearby.
- Malls. East Point with a Carrefour Market at the eastern end of Mesame Masivi, and Tbilisi Sea Plaza on the Varketili side.
- Schools. OpenStreetMap shows public schools in every unit, for example No 76 and 156 in Orkhevi-Aeroporti, five numbered schools in Lilo and No 94 and 124 in Kvemo Samgori. Confirm numbers in the current register.
- Parks. Orkhevi Central Park and Tetrikhevi Park in unit 19, and the Varketili Central Park in Mesame Masivi. We found no university inside the four units outside Varketili.
Industry, aircraft and land disputes
Much of the district is working land. OpenStreetMap shows the aircraft works, a dry port, the marshalling yard and a bus depot in Kvemo Samgori, factories and logistics sites in Orkhevi-Aeroporti, a brewery and a terminal in Lilo, and several military sites. Check the zoning of a plot and its neighbours on the city's land-use map before buying, especially for a house or land.
We found no noise map or noise measurements for areas near the airport, and passenger numbers are rising: TAV reported more than 5 million passengers in 2025. Ask about the flight path before buying in Orkhevi, the Airport settlement or Lilo. Residents of Didi Lilo have complained for years about conditions around the city's landfill, which OpenStreetMap places just outside the city line; in February 2025 City Hall said the landfill does not meet modern standards and that it was studying sites for a new one.
Land and housing have also been contested. In December 2020, JAMnews reported, City Hall demolished 12 structures built without permits on state land in Afrika, and in July 2025 Caucasian Knot reported evictions of families displaced from Abkhazia from former factory buildings on Tvalchrelidze Street. The Lochini river on the district's eastern side has spring floods and flash floods, according to the encyclopedia, though we found no recent flood reports for Samgori.
Air quality
Samgori has the easternmost of Tbilisi's automatic air stations, but it stands in Varketili, about 10.6 km from Lilo Mall by our measurement, so it says little about Lilo or the airport area. For 2024, Tbilisi State University researchers put its yearly fine-particle (PM2.5) mean at 14.6 µg/m³: under the national limit, yet well over what the WHO advises. A passive sampler for nitrogen dioxide stands on Kiziki Street in Kvemo Samgori, but the national air plan does not publish its result, and we found no air data for Lilo, Orkhevi or the airport.
Who lives here
According to 2014 census figures compiled by City Population, about 85% of Samgori's residents were Georgians and about 8% Armenians, and about 8% were internally displaced people, by our arithmetic. Some 6,453 residents lived in places counted as rural, a sign that villages such as Didi Lilo are still part of the city. We found no figures for the 2024 census by district.
Letting in Samgori
Outside Varketili, the rental market is local and modest: two-room flats in Mesame Masivi, Orkhevi, Afrika and the Airport settlement asked about GEL 1,000 to 1,300 a month, below the levels around Isani metro. Korter.ge listed only 25 daily rentals for the whole district, mostly on the Varketili side, so the airport does not by itself create a short-stay market. Our guide to long-term tenants explains what renters look for.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Cheapest new flats of 10 districts (Geostat) | Lowest average rent of 12 zones |
| Airport, highway and Lilo Mall close by | Only one metro station in the district |
| Houses with yards in Orkhevi and Lilo | Industrial and military neighbours |
| Third-highest flat sales of 12 zones | No noise data near the airport |
| Land available along the highway | Landfill complaints in Didi Lilo |
To be added by the team: photos for the team to take: the Kakheti Highway at Mesame Masivi, new towers on Abashvili Street, low houses in Orkhevi, the Airport settlement, Lilo Mall, five-storey blocks in Lilo, the Afrika area by the marshalling yard and Urban East under construction.
Checking property in Samgori step by step
Pin down the unit
Mesame Masivi, Orkhevi, Lilo or Kvemo Samgori.
Check the zoning around
Factories, depots and military land.
Listen for aircraft
Visit at peak flight times.
Plan the commute
Bus, minibus or car to the metro.
Check the developer
For any block still being built.
Price the rent
Against GEL 1,000 to 1,300 for two rooms.
Frequently asked questions
Which units make up Samgori district?
Varketili (17), Mesame Masivi (18), Orkhevi and Aeroporti (19), Lilo (20) and Kvemo Samgori (21).
Is Tbilisi airport in Samgori?
Yes. OpenStreetMap places it in unit 19, Orkhevi and Aeroporti.
Is Samgori metro in Samgori district?
No, it is on the Isani side; Varketili is the district's only station.
How much does a new flat in Samgori cost?
Galt & Taggart's July 2026 average was USD 1,178 per m².
What is the rent in Samgori?
Two-room flats outside Varketili asked about GEL 1,000 to 1,300 a month.
How big is Lilo Mall?
About 35 hectares with up to 6,000 trading units, per the Georgian Encyclopedia.
Will the airport move to Vaziani?
The government plans a new airport there by 2031; no plan for the old site has been published.
How many people live in Samgori?
177,844 at the 2014 census, on 128.4 km².
Sources
- Tbilisi City Council decision No 16-35 on territorial units, 5 December 2014, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Air quality management plan for the Tbilisi agglomeration, 2024-2026, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Tbilisi International Airport, Tbilaviamsheni, Lilo Mall, Tbilisi reservoir, Tbilisi and Tbilisi Metropolitan, Georgian Encyclopedia (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Orkhevi and Lilo settlement, Georgian Wikipedia, and Samgori District, Wikipedia (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Tbilisi residential real estate, July 2026 and December 2025, Galt & Taggart (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Residential property price index, second quarter of 2026, Geostat (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Flats in Mesame Masivi, with the Orkhevi, Lilo, Afrika and Airport settlement sections, houses, land and rents, ss.ge (accessed 22 October 2026)
- New projects in Samgori district, with Urban East, East Project, Chichinadze Street by Index and daily rentals, korter.ge (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Bus to and from the airport, Tbilisi International Airport (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Tbilisi airport to double capacity, CAPA, 27 January 2026; Georgia launches expansion of Tbilisi airport, The Star, 14 July 2026; and Government issues decree on Vaziani airport, Georgia Today, 2 April 2026
- Tbilisi City Council approves the 2026 budget, 23 December 2025, and Tbilisi mayor reviews infrastructure and social initiatives, 5 February 2025, 1TV
- Hundreds left on the street after demolition of illegally built houses, JAMnews, 15 December 2020, and Eviction of displaced families in Samgori, Caucasian Knot, 24 July 2025
- Samgori district, 2014 census, City Population, citing Geostat (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Particulate matter in Tbilisi, 2017-2024, M. Nodia Institute of Geophysics, Tbilisi State University, November 2025 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Samgori district, OpenStreetMap (accessed 22 October 2026)
Change log
- - Area guide published from the Tbilisi City Council decision on territorial units, the Tbilisi air quality management plan, the Georgian Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Galt & Taggart and Geostat data, ss.ge and korter.ge listings, Tbilisi International Airport, CAPA, 1TV, JAMnews, Caucasian Knot and City Population census data.