If you're planning a trip to Georgia, the good news is that car rental here is still one of the better deals in Europe and the Caucasus. Economy cars start around $25 a day in low season, sometimes less if you know where to look and when to book.
Below is a practical breakdown of what cars actually cost in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi in 2026. It also covers real ways to bring that number down.
One thing worth flagging before you book: starting January 1, 2026, Georgia requires all incoming tourists to hold valid health and accident insurance, according to the Georgian National Tourism Administration. It's unrelated to car rental insurance specifically, but it's a document you'll want sorted before you land.
Prices shift depending on the city, the season, and the class of car. Treat these as a working range rather than a fixed number.
Renting a car in Tbilisi gets you the largest fleet and the most providers, which keeps things competitive. Expect $25–40 a day for something small like a Hyundai i10 or Chevrolet Spark. Step up to a compact such as a Toyota Yaris or Hyundai Accent and you're looking at $30–50. A Toyota Corolla or similar midsize car runs $40–60. An SUV like a Tucson or RAV4 costs $55–90, depending on availability.
Kutaisi is usually the cheapest of the three, and it's not by accident. Since Wizz Air made it a major low-cost hub, local rental companies have had to compete hard on price. An economy car here typically goes for $22–35 a day, compacts for $28–45, midsize vehicles for $35–55, and SUVs for $50–80. If your flight lands in Kutaisi, it's often worth just picking up the car there rather than arranging something in Tbilisi.
Car rental in Batumi is the most seasonal of the three markets by far. In winter, rates can drop close to Kutaisi levels. Come July and August, though, prices climb past what you'd pay in Tbilisi, sometimes considerably. Roughly speaking: economy from $25–45, compact from $30–55, midsize from $40–65, and SUVs from $55–95 during peak weeks. If you're heading to the coast in summer, there's a simple trick. Pick up the car in Kutaisi and drive the two and a half hours to Batumi instead of renting locally.
Live rates for all three cities are available at StarCar.
Book ahead. Walking up to a counter, whether at the airport or in the city, almost always costs more than reserving online in advance. Booking two to four weeks out usually gets you a better rate and a wider pick of vehicles.
Travel outside peak season. Mid-June through early September is high season across Georgia, and prices reflect it. Rates can run 40 to 60 percent higher than the rest of the year. April, May, October, and November tend to have the best combination of decent weather and lower rates.
Rent longer if you can. The per-day price drops the longer you keep the car. A week-long rental is typically 20 to 30 percent cheaper per day than a three-day booking. The savings get even better the longer you stay.
Go economy or compact. The size of the car is the single biggest factor in your bill. For most of Georgia's roads and cities, a small economy car is perfectly fine. You really only need something bigger if you're driving into the high mountains, toward places like Tusheti or the more remote parts of Svaneti.
Consider manual transmission. Automatics are in shorter supply here, so they cost more, usually $5–15 extra per day. If you can drive stick, you'll have more cars to choose from at a lower price.
Rent local rather than international. The big international chains operate in Georgia, but they typically charge more than local companies. A Georgian provider like Star Car offers comparable or better vehicles at a lower price. Their staff also know the roads and can flag things like seasonal closures or bad conditions.
Skip the extras you don't need. Car seats, GPS units, and portable Wi-Fi are common upsells that add up. Bring your own car seat if you're traveling with kids. Download offline Google Maps before you land, and pick up a cheap Georgian SIM card at the airport for data instead.
Pay attention to the fuel policy. Full-to-full is the fairest option: you get a full tank, you return it full. Prepaid fuel plans work differently. You pay upfront for a full tank no matter how much you actually use, and that usually works against you unless you're cutting it very close on time.
Check your existing insurance before adding more. Many credit cards and travel insurance policies already cover rental cars, which means you might not need the company's collision damage waiver. Just confirm your policy actually covers Georgia specifically, since some cards exclude certain countries.
Weigh the airport premium against your plans. Airport pickups don't carry much of a surcharge in Georgia compared to other countries. But if you're landing late at night and staying downtown anyway, it's worth comparing a taxi into the city plus a local pickup against renting straight at the airport.
If your travel dates are flexible, where you pick up the car matters almost as much as when.
Kutaisi Airport generally has the lowest prices of the three. That's largely thanks to the volume of budget flights and the competition that comes with it. There's a full breakdown in our Kutaisi Airport car rental guide.
Tbilisi has the biggest selection by far. That works in your favor if you're renting for a longer stretch and want to compare several providers.
Batumi swings the most with the seasons. Book there in winter and you'll pay close to Kutaisi rates; book in August and you'll pay noticeably more than Tbilisi. If you're set on visiting Batumi during peak summer, picking up in Kutaisi and driving the coast road is usually the better move.
A low headline price isn't the whole story. Keep an eye on these:
Drivers between 21 and 24 sometimes get hit with a young driver surcharge of $5–15 a day. (See our full breakdown of age requirements for renting a car in Georgia if you're close to that threshold.) Picking up in one city and dropping off in another usually triggers a one-way fee, generally $30–80 depending on the distance. Returning the car more than half an hour to an hour late can trigger a full extra day's charge, so build in some buffer. Speed cameras are active on most main roads in Georgia. Any fines get linked back to the rental car, often with an added admin fee on top. And if you bring the car back with less fuel than you started with, the rental company will fill it themselves. That top-up usually costs 30 to 50 percent more than a regular gas station.
Here's a realistic budget for a week-long road trip:
An economy car at $28 a day comes to $196 for the week. Fuel for a full loop around the country runs roughly $80–100. Georgia has no toll roads, so that's one less thing to budget for. All in, transport for the week lands under $300.
For that price, you could cover a lot of ground: Tbilisi, up the Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi, through Kakheti's wine region, and down to Batumi on the coast. Along the way, you're free to stop wherever looks interesting. Compare that to a week of taxis, tours, and marshrutkas covering the same ground. The math almost always favors the rental car, especially if there are two or more of you splitting the cost.
See our full comparison of renting versus public transport in Georgia for more detail.
What's the cheapest car available in Georgia? Small economy cars like the Hyundai i10 or Chevrolet Spark are your best bet, starting around $22–25 a day in low season.
Is Kutaisi cheaper than Tbilisi for renting a car? Generally, yes, particularly at the airport. Tbilisi has more choice, though, and longer rentals there can end up competitively priced too.
Are there hidden fees to watch for? With a reputable company like Star Car, the quoted price already includes the mandatory costs. It's still worth double-checking before you book that insurance, mileage, taxes, and airport pickup are all included in the rate you're seeing.
Is it worth renting for just a day or two? If you're only staying in Tbilisi and not leaving the city, taxis or Bolt will probably work out cheaper. But the moment your plans include Mtskheta, Kazbegi, or the wine region, a rental car pays for itself in time saved and flexibility.
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