Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaluga and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaluga and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $805 in Kaluga versus $1,178 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,231 in Kaluga versus $1,848 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,656 in Kaluga versus $2,518 in Tbilisi.

Living in Kaluga costs roughly 32% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaluga 40% lower, Tbilisi 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ₽404

$11.09 ₾29.35

-49.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.88 ₽1,586

$43.24 ₾114

-49.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ₽363

$8.55 ₾22.63

-41.52%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ₽148

$2.97 ₾7.86

-31.31%

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

$1.35 ₽97.6

$0.76 ₾2.01

77.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₽40.85

$0.46 ₾1.22

21.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ₽103

$2.22 ₾5.88

-36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₽221

$2.92 ₾7.73

4.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ₽79.1

$1.97 ₾5.21

-44.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽51.6

$0.73 ₾1.94

-2.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ₽109

$1.82 ₾4.81

-17.03%

Eggs

$1.72 ₽125

$2.49 ₾6.60

-30.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 ₽599

$7.66 ₾20.27

7.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 ₽279

$6.27 ₾16.59

-38.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 ₽549

$9.50 ₾25.14

-20.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 ₽141

$1.23 ₾3.24

57.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ₽122

$1.64 ₾4.33

2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₽140

$1.87 ₾4.95

3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 ₽225

$2.27 ₾6.02

36.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ₽53.3

$0.67 ₾1.77

10.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ₽50.7

$0.67 ₾1.79

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.16 ₽229

$1.22 ₾3.23

159.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₽47.89

$0.70 ₾1.85

-5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ₽214

$2.92 ₾7.73

1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 ₽691

$7.72 ₾20.42

23.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽53.4

$1.55 ₾4.09

-52.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₽141

$2.22 ₾5.86

-12.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ₽30.34

$0.39 ₾1.02

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.91 ₽1,371

$14.67 ₾38.81

28.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ₽282

$1.44 ₾3.82

170.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.11 ₽7.89

$0.69 ₾1.81

-84.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 ₽465

$7.37 ₾19.52

-12.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 ₽56.8

$1.14 ₾3.03

-31.58%

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

$33.7K ₽2.4M

$18.2K ₾48.1K

85.52%

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

$35.5K ₽2.6M

$20.4K ₾54.1K

73.66%

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

$77.3 ₽5,598

$73.6 ₾195

4.92%

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

$5.62 ₽408

$11.64 ₾30.80

-51.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.21 ₽378

$17.63 ₾46.65

-70.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.02 ₽2,610

$61.4 ₾162

-41.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 ₾44.59

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ₽554

$6.69 ₾17.71

14.35%

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

$349 ₽25.3K

$264 ₾699

32.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,973 ₽505.3K

$5,169 ₾13.7K

34.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 ₽5,195

$75.1 ₾199

-4.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.84 ₽2,742

$43.26 ₾114

-12.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₽8,442

$118 ₾311

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 ₽5,608

$111 ₾295

-30.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 ₽18.3K

$706 ₾1,868

-64.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 ₽14.3K

$461 ₾1,221

-57.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ₽32.0K

$1,318 ₾3,488

-66.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ₽24.1K

$781 ₾2,066

-57.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,684 ₽122.0K

$2,463 ₾6,517

-31.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,458 ₽105.7K

$1,409 ₾3,727

3.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₽63.3K

$672 ₾1,779

29.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.5

11.89

21.95%

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

Last update for Kaluga: June 15, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Kaluga and $706 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaluga pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Kaluga vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $206 per month, with Kaluga cheaper across the board.

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

Kaluga vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaluga and Tbilisi differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($805 vs $1,178 including rent). Kaluga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaluga pays 30% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $253 in Kaluga versus $706 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kaluga runs roughly 29% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $349 in Kaluga versus $264 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $805 in Kaluga versus $1,178 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaluga but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Kaluga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kaluga and Tbilisi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kaluga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.