Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elista and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Elista: $950 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Elista
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Elista Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Elista

🇷🇺 Russia

$950

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elista and in Tbilisi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Elista and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $950 per month in Elista vs $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Elista $950
Tbilisi $1,278

A couple spends around $1,565 per month in Elista vs $2,017 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Elista $1,565
Tbilisi $2,017

A family of three spends $2,180 per month in Elista vs $2,755 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Elista $2,180
Tbilisi $2,755

Elista is about 26% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Elista and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Elista 30% lower, Tbilisi 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.67 ₽546

$11.62 ₾30.07

-42.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.36 ₽3,958

$38.41 ₾99.4

25.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 ₽541

$9.74 ₾25.20

-32.14%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ₽232

$3.56 ₾9.21

-20.22%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₽83.5

$1.08 ₾2.80

-5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₽48.40

$0.56 ₾1.46

5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ₽97.0

$2.73 ₾7.05

-56.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₽151

$3.13 ₾8.09

-41.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 ₽86.9

$2.14 ₾5.55

-50.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 ₽45.83

$0.75 ₾1.95

-25.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ₽95.7

$1.80 ₾4.66

-35.00%

Eggs

$1.48 ₽121

$2.80 ₾7.25

-47.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.72 ₽631

$9.43 ₾24.41

-18.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 ₽394

$7.00 ₾18.10

-31.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.89 ₽973

$12.69 ₾32.83

-6.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 ₽105

$1.63 ₾4.22

-21.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₽123

$1.84 ₾4.77

-18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ₽123

$1.97 ₾5.09

-23.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 ₽213

$2.47 ₾6.39

5.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ₽64.2

$0.75 ₾1.95

4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ₽38.10

$0.67 ₾1.74

-29.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₽31.72

$1.41 ₾3.66

-72.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₽54.4

$0.72 ₾1.86

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₽238

$3.51 ₾9.08

-17.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 ₽770

$7.89 ₾20.40

19.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₽89.1

$1.70 ₾4.41

-35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₽157

$2.37 ₾6.12

-18.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₽43.16

$0.38 ₾0.98

39.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.79 ₽2,192

$15.29 ₾39.56

75.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₽201

$1.19 ₾3.08

105.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₽30.59

$0.74 ₾1.91

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ₽296

$11.89 ₾30.76

-69.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽71.6

$1.46 ₾3.77

-40.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.0K ₽2.2M

$25.0K ₾64.6K

8.12%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.0K ₽2.6M

$22.8K ₾59.1K

40.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$87.4 ₽7,154

$88.1 ₾228

-0.81%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.56 ₽537

$12.71 ₾32.87

-48.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.08 ₽661

$19.79 ₾51.2

-59.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.35 ₽2,975

$64.3 ₾166

-43.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.57 ₽2,010

$19.17 ₾49.59

28.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 ₽347

$6.65 ₾17.20

-36.24%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$336 ₽27.5K

$371 ₾961

-9.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,432 ₽526.4K

$9,163 ₾23.7K

-29.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 ₽7,333

$102 ₾264

-12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₽4,493

$39.65 ₾103

38.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 ₽4,580

$118 ₾306

-52.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ₽9,393

$120 ₾310

-4.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 ₽40.8K

$690 ₾1,784

-27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ₽26.2K

$461 ₾1,193

-30.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 ₽69.3K

$1,362 ₾3,523

-37.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 ₽53.9K

$897 ₾2,321

-26.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,314 ₽189.4K

$2,277 ₾5,891

1.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,320 ₽108.0K

$1,378 ₾3,564

-4.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$365 ₽29.9K

$710 ₾1,836

-48.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.33

12.53

70.23%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Elista: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Elista

$320 33.7%

Tbilisi

$461 36.1% 44.1% $141

Groceries & Markets

Elista

$185 19.5%

Tbilisi

$235 18.4% 27.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Elista

$142 14.9%

Tbilisi

$171 13.4% 20.4% $29

Eating Out

Elista

$123 13%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 55.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elista

$102 10.7%

Tbilisi

$121 9.4% 18.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Elista

$45 4.7%

Tbilisi

$78 6.1% 73.1% $33

Getting Around

Elista

$33 3.5%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 34.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $498 in Elista versus $690 in Tbilisi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 94% higher in Tbilisi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Elista versus $38 in Tbilisi. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Elista vs $235 in Tbilisi – so Elista wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Elista

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

06:02 6:02 AM

1 h ahead of Elista

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,219

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.343 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.13 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.343 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Elista Tbilisi 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Elista
Tbilisi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Elista vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,426 per month in Elista and $1,918 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elista, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $498 there versus $690 in Tbilisi.

Kindergarten costs $336 per month in Elista and $371 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Tbilisi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Elista – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Elista. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.