I gathered some information about how to use public transport in Tbilisi and want to share it.
The most convenient thing is to have a MetroMoney card with you.
MetroMoney cards are sold at the airport at the Bank of Georgia branch, although they occasionally run out of them.
MetroMoney cards are ALWAYS available at metro stations, at the windows with the actual ladies working there 😊. You can also top them up there. The card costs 2 lari, a ride with the card costs 1 lari. You can also buy subscription cards there for a certain number of rides.
MetroMoney cards can be topped up at any payment terminal where people usually add money to their phones or pay utility bills, etc. Important: these terminals DO NOT GIVE CHANGE and they do not accept coins.
Payment for all city transport in Tbilisi with this card — any transport — is one lari. After paying, you can travel around the city for 90 minutes for free (including the metro). But you still have to tap the card when transferring.
You can also pay for 2, 3, or more people with one card — as long as there is enough money on it 😊. But in that case the 90 free minutes do not work.
You can also ride public transport in Tbilisi for 1 lari and pay with any Georgian bank card.
I won’t give information about foreign cards because I don’t know for sure 😊. But I’ve read that you can also pay with a regular foreign bank card. Still, it’s better to pay using MetroMoney, because after the first trip all subsequent rides within 90 minutes on the metro, bus, or minibus are not charged.
The MetroMoney card is also used to ride the cable car — a one-way trip costs 5 lari per person.
Going up to Mtatsminda Park by both the funicular and the cable car from Rustaveli Avenue costs 12 lari for foreigners and requires a Mtatsminda Park card.
City transport using the MetroMoney card (or a bank card) costs 1 lari for 90 minutes. This also includes three cable cars (from Rike Park to Narikala Fortress, from Vake to Turtle Lake, and from the university to Bagebi) with prices up to 2.5 lari.
If you keep the receipt, you can return the MetroMoney card later by showing your passport, and they will refund the cost of the card itself as well as the deposit that remained on it.