Apartment vs. alternatives
It makes sense to compare an apartment with what you could do with the same money: a savings account, bonds, an index fund. The comparison holds only if the amount, term and currency are the same and all of the apartment's expenses are included. An example from the Levelvale calculator: over 10 years with no price growth, an apartment in Georgia priced at $60,000 and renting for $450 a month and sold at its purchase price earned about $33,000 on top of the amount invested. A Credo Bank lari deposit, converted to dollars, earned about $49,000, and an S&P 500 index fund about $87,000. In annual yield, the apartment catches up with the deposit only if its price grows about 4% a year. Here we compare an apartment with a savings account, treat an installment plan as a loan, and look at what you are paying for when you buy with your heart. Every article here comes back to one simple question: what does the apartment leave you with if its price does not rise over 10 years, and are you comfortable with that result?
- An apartment in Georgia or a savings account: what the same money earns in 10 years
- Installment plans in Batumi: how to calculate the yield of a new build
- We don't buy square meters
An apartment in Georgia or a savings account: what the same money earns in 10 yearsOne sum, four options: a rental apartment, a savings account, bonds and an index fund. What to include, and how much price growth the apartment needs.
October 15, 2026 · Apartment vs. alternatives
Installment plans in Batumi: how to calculate the yield of a new buildA low down payment is not a low price. What an installment plan costs as an annual rate, the payment calendar, and what a 6 or 12 month delay changes.
October 12, 2026 · Apartment vs. alternatives
We don't buy square metersPeople buy an apartment for the life inside it. So why calculate? To walk into the negotiation with an argument. Straight Talk from a Realtor.
October 8, 2026 · Apartment vs. alternativesWhich is better: an apartment or a savings account?
In our example, with no price growth the apartment, sold, earned about $33,000 over 10 years, and a Credo Bank lari deposit about $49,000 converted to dollars. In annual yield, the apartment catches up at about 4% price growth a year. Run your own numbers: the answer depends on price, rent and currency.
Why does the index fund come out on top?
The calculator uses its average return from 1928 to 2025. In its worst decade, 2000 to 2009, the fund lost about 1% a year. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
How do I compare an installment plan with paying up front?
Treat it as a loan from the developer: in our worked example, a $5,000 markup over 14 months works out to about 23% a year.