Which areas of Tbilisi suit families?
There is no single best area: the right one depends on the school your children will attend, your budget and whether you will drive. Families who need an international school tend to look at Lisi Lake and Saburtalo's north-west or at Bagebi and the Tskneti road, where most of those schools are. Families on a Georgian public school and a tighter budget get far more space for the money in Didi Dighomi, Gldani, Mukhiani or Vazisubani, and the Gldani and Samgori districts have the most public schools and kindergartens. Families who want a house with a yard look at Dighomi village, Lisi and the Tskneti hills.
This guide compares areas on what can be measured: prices of three-room flats, schools and kindergartens, parks, air monitoring, hospitals and road safety. Where data does not exist, for example crime by district, we say so instead of guessing.
How do the main family areas compare?
| Area | 3-room flat, median | Typical size | International schools nearby | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vake | USD 300,000 | 104 m² | European School, French School | On the western edge |
| Bagebi | USD 215,000 | 100 m² | New School, German school | No |
| Saburtalo | USD 170,500 | 86 m² | A European School building on Kazbegi Avenue | Yes, Line 2 |
| Lisi Lake | USD 159,000 | 92 m² | British school, American Academy, Maarif | About 2.2 km |
| Nutsubidze Plateau | USD 135,000 | 80 m² | None found on the plateau | State University at its foot |
| Didi Dighomi | USD 100,000 | 75 m² | QSI in nearby Zurgovani | No; tram planned |
| Dighomi massif | USD 94,500 | 77 m² | None found | Ghrmaghele, about 1.3 km |
| Vazisubani | USD 95,500 | 77 m² | None found | No; Varketili across Javakheti Street |
| Gldani and Mukhiani | USD 93,650 to 98,000 | 70 to 75 m² | None found | Akhmeteli Theatre |
| Varketili | USD 86,300 | 65 m² | None found | Yes, Line 1 |
A three-room flat on ss.ge has a living room and two bedrooms. By our arithmetic, the median one in Vake costs about 3.5 times the median in Varketili, and for about USD 100,000 the sample offers a typical 75 to 77 m² flat in Didi Dighomi, Mukhiani, Vazisubani, the Dighomi massif or Gldani. For prices, rents and yields across all districts, see our neighbourhoods comparison.
How do public schools and enrolment work?
Tbilisi has 179 public schools by our count of the Ministry of Education's school map, whose national total of 2,086 matches Geostat. They are spread unevenly: Samgori and Gldani have 25 each, Nadzaladevi 23, Isani 21, Saburtalo 20, Mtatsminda 18, Vake and Chughureti 14 each, Krtsanisi 10 and Didube 9. Vake has the fewest public schools per resident of any district, which fits, though it does not prove, heavier use of private schools there. Schools in the outer districts and Saburtalo are also the largest, averaging about 1,170 to 1,230 pupils.
No public school in Tbilisi teaches in English. Most teach in Georgian, and the school map shows 15 schools with Russian-language classes, 3 with Armenian, 3 with Azerbaijani and 2 with Ukrainian. A child who does not speak Georgian therefore realistically needs a private or international school, or one of the Russian-language sectors.
First-grade entry runs in stages every spring and summer. In 2026 a child had to turn 6 by 15 September, with a one-off extension to 31 December for that year only. In the territorial stage, places go by the address registered with the State Services Development Agency on 15 April, not simply where the family lives, so a buyer who wants a particular public school should register the new address in time. A later general stage lets parents apply to any school with free places through the EMIS portal. From 1 September 2026, a child's schooling done abroad part-way through is recognised by the receiving school itself.
Where are the international schools, and what do they cost?
The English-language and foreign-curriculum schools form three clusters and one outlier:
- Lisi Lake and north-west Saburtalo: the British International School of Tbilisi, the Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy and Maarif, all on Leo Kvachadze Street.
- Bagebi and the Tskneti road (Vake district): New School, an IB World School with almost 850 pupils, the German International School and Buckswood in Tskneti.
- The Vake-Saburtalo core: the European School's main buildings and the French School of the Caucasus.
- Apart: QSI in Zurgovani, north of Didi Dighomi, which runs a door-to-door bus.
Fees are rarely published. Of the schools we checked, three print them on their own sites: the American Academy, at GEL 19,500 for grade 8 and GEL 31,000 for grades 9 to 12 in 2026-27; the German International School, at GEL 10,805 to 20,655 a year in 2026-27; and Newton Free School. The others give fees on request, so ask each school directly and add transport and registration costs. We found no international school campus in Gldani, Samgori, Isani, Krtsanisi or Chughureti.
How do kindergartens work?
Tbilisi City Hall's kindergarten agency runs 190 public kindergartens, from 29 in Samgori to 12 in Krtsanisi. By law they are free, including meals. Registration is online in July in three stages: first priority groups such as siblings and children with special needs, then children registered in Tbilisi, then everyone aged 2 to 6. A foreign child can be registered, but the parent first needs a residence permit and an 11-digit personal number from the Public Service Hall, because the online form requires one. Vake and Nadzaladevi have the fewest public kindergartens per resident by our arithmetic.
Which areas have the most green space?
No official figure exists by district: a City Hall official told FactCheck Georgia in 2016 that green space had not been counted since 1988, and the citywide estimate quoted by researchers is about 1.3 m² per resident. Our own indicative count of parks and gardens mapped on OpenStreetMap gives the least park area per resident to Gldani and Isani and the most to Vake, Mtatsminda and Saburtalo with Lisi Lake. Vake Park, Mziuri Park and Turtle Lake, Lisi Lake's recreation zone and the 25-hectare Zghvisubani Park by the Tbilisi Sea are the largest family spaces; Krtsanisi's forest park lies within a large planned development area, which is worth watching.
What do we know about air quality for children?
Official automatic monitors stand only in Didube, Saburtalo, Chughureti and Samgori. Of the long-running ones, the Kazbegi Avenue station in Saburtalo had the lowest fine-particle (PM2.5) average from 2017 to 2024, 14.8 µg/m³, and the Tsereteli Avenue station on a traffic corridor in Didube the highest, 19.6. Vake, Mtatsminda, Krtsanisi, Isani, Nadzaladevi and Gldani have no automatic station, so claims that the hills have "cleaner air" rest on elevation, not measurements. The national plan names construction dust as the largest source of fine particles, so a flat next to a building site is a concern wherever it is.
Which areas are safest?
No official source ranks Tbilisi districts by crime: the Interior Ministry publishes national figures by type of offence, and Geostat reports Tbilisi as a whole. Any "safest district" list is opinion. The measurable risk for children is traffic: Georgia recorded 469 road deaths in 2025, including 28 children and 164 pedestrians, and Tbilisi had 43% of all crashes. When you view a flat, look at the route to school: crossings, pavements and how fast cars move on the nearest main road.
Where are the children's hospitals?
The two main paediatric hospitals are on the north-west side of the city: the Iashvili Children's Central Hospital at 13/6 Lubliana Street in the Dighomi massif, and the children's infectious diseases hospital in Saburtalo. The Zhvania Paediatric Clinic of Tbilisi State Medical University is on Givi Zhvania Street. Families in Saburtalo, Didube, Vake and Nadzaladevi are therefore closest to specialist care; neighbourhood polyclinics with paediatricians exist across the city.
Where can a family buy a house with a yard?
Our ss.ge samples of houses for sale show three price bands. Under about USD 350,000: Gldani village (median USD 166,000), Vashlijvari (USD 184,000), Dighomi village and Lisi Lake (USD 310,000 each) and Didi Dighomi (USD 347,500). Higher up, in the cooler hills: Okrokana (USD 586,000) and Tskneti (USD 700,000), with houses of about 350 to 400 m². At the top: Bagebi (USD 850,000) and Vake (USD 1.15 million). These are asking prices for houses of very different sizes, so compare the area and the plot. Families who prefer to build will find plots in Tskneti at a median of about USD 450 per m², usually around 1,000 m², and in Okrokana at about USD 300 per m²; in Bagebi most plots asked USD 450 to 600 per m². Hill areas mean a car and, in Tskneti, a 30-minute bus to Vake Park; see our Tskneti and Okrokana guide.
Which area fits which family?
| Family type | Areas to look at first | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Budget, Georgian public school | Didi Dighomi, Gldani, Mukhiani, Vazisubani, Dighomi massif | Larger schools, less park space in Gldani |
| International school, British or American | Lisi Lake, north-west Saburtalo, Didi Dighomi for QSI | Car or school bus needed |
| International school, IB or German | Bagebi, Vake | Highest flat prices in the city |
| Space and a yard | Dighomi village, Lisi Lake, Tskneti, Okrokana | Driving for school and shops |
| Car-free | Saburtalo, Nutsubidze Plateau, Varketili | Denser blocks, smaller flats than the hills |
Moving from abroad? Our guide to where expats live covers the same areas from a newcomer's angle.
Choosing an area and a school step by step
Choose the school type first
Georgian public, Russian sector or international.
Shortlist areas near it
Use the table above and the area guides.
Ask schools about fees and places
Most international schools quote on request.
Register your address by 15 April
If you want the territorial public-school stage.
Get a personal number
Needed for kindergarten registration in July.
Walk the school route
Crossings, pavements and traffic.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an English-language public school in Tbilisi?
No. Public schools teach mainly in Georgian, with some Russian, Armenian, Azerbaijani and Ukrainian sectors.
Are public kindergartens free?
Yes, including meals; registration is online in July.
Can a foreign child go to a public school?
Yes; state funding covers foreign pupils, and documents in another language need a Georgian translation.
How much does an international school cost?
Most do not publish fees; the American Academy lists GEL 19,500 to 31,000 a year for 2026-27.
Which district has the most public schools?
Samgori and Gldani, with 25 each.
Where is the cleanest air?
Among measured sites, Kazbegi Avenue in Saburtalo had the lowest PM2.5 from 2017 to 2024.
Which district is the safest?
No official crime data exists by district.
How much is a 3-room flat for a family?
Medians ranged from USD 86,300 in Varketili to USD 300,000 in Vake in October 2026.
Sources
- Public schools map, Education Management Information System, Ministry of Education, and Indicators of general education schools, 2025-2026, Geostat (accessed 22 October 2026)
- First-grade registration opens, 18 February 2026, and Territorial registration stage, 14 May 2026, 1TV
- Law on General Education and 2026 amendments, Parliament of Georgia (accessed 22 October 2026)
- List of kindergartens and frequently asked questions, Tbilisi Kindergarten Management Agency, and Kindergarten registration to begin on 6 July, Georgia Today, 24 June 2026
- Early childhood and school education funding in Georgia, Eurydice, European Commission
- QSI International School of Tbilisi, British International School of Tbilisi, American Academy tuition, New School, German International School, European School and Buckswood (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Green space per resident in Tbilisi, FactCheck Georgia, 8 November 2016, and A call for more green space, ISET Policy Institute, 2020
- Air quality management plan for the Tbilisi agglomeration, 2024-2026, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, and Particulate matter in Tbilisi, 2017-2024, Tbilisi State University
- Crime statistics, January to June 2025, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Road deaths in Georgia, JAMnews, 23 February 2026
- Iashvili Children's Central Hospital and Zhvania Paediatric Clinic (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Three-room flats for sale and houses for sale, Tbilisi, ss.ge (accessed 22 October 2026)
Change log
- - Guide published from the Ministry of Education's school map, Geostat, 1TV reporting on school registration, the Law on General Education, the Tbilisi Kindergarten Management Agency, Eurydice, school websites, FactCheck Georgia, ISET, the Tbilisi air quality management plan, Interior Ministry statistics, JAMnews and ss.ge listings.