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: $798 in Kaluga versus $1,185 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,227 in Kaluga versus $1,834 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,656 in Kaluga versus $2,483 in Tbilisi.

Living in Kaluga costs roughly 33% 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

$5.73 ₽430

$11.15 ₾30.00

-48.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.48 ₽1,688

$43.13 ₾116

-47.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 ₽380

$8.22 ₾22.11

-38.44%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ₽151

$3.13 ₾8.42

-35.78%

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

$1.29 ₽97.2

$0.74 ₾2.00

74.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₽39.72

$0.45 ₾1.22

17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 ₽106

$2.13 ₾5.74

-33.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₽230

$2.99 ₾8.06

2.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽82.4

$1.89 ₾5.09

-41.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 ₽51.6

$0.73 ₾1.97

-5.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 ₽111

$1.85 ₾4.98

-20.00%

Eggs

$1.72 ₽129

$2.45 ₾6.58

-29.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 ₽606

$7.85 ₾21.12

2.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 ₽285

$6.25 ₾16.82

-39.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.71 ₽579

$9.77 ₾26.28

-21.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ₽139

$1.21 ₾3.26

52.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₽127

$1.59 ₾4.28

6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ₽144

$1.79 ₾4.81

6.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 ₽237

$2.32 ₾6.25

36.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ₽58.9

$0.71 ₾1.91

9.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₽50.6

$0.67 ₾1.81

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.23 ₽242

$1.18 ₾3.16

173.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽49.18

$0.71 ₾1.92

-8.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ₽226

$2.92 ₾7.85

3.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 ₽595

$7.25 ₾19.50

9.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽58.4

$1.55 ₾4.17

-49.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₽146

$2.31 ₾6.21

-16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ₽34.07

$0.38 ₾1.03

18.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.37 ₽1,455

$14.81 ₾39.83

30.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 ₽283

$1.48 ₾3.98

154.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.11 ₽7.96

$0.69 ₾1.86

-84.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 ₽473

$7.45 ₾20.05

-15.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 ₽57.9

$1.15 ₾3.10

-33.04%

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

$34.7K ₽2.6M

$18.0K ₾48.4K

92.93%

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

$35.7K ₽2.7M

$19.8K ₾53.4K

79.78%

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

$77.5 ₽5,824

$73.4 ₾198

5.58%

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

$5.59 ₽420

$11.64 ₾31.32

-51.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.13 ₽385

$17.77 ₾47.79

-71.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.07 ₽2,709

$60.6 ₾163

-40.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ₾44.21

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ₽587

$6.51 ₾17.52

20.12%

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

$361 ₽27.1K

$263 ₾707

37.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,015 ₽526.9K

$5,136 ₾13.8K

36.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 ₽5,402

$77.7 ₾209

-7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.58 ₽2,898

$44.39 ₾119

-13.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ₽8,535

$118 ₾317

-3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 ₽5,793

$114 ₾307

-32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ₽18.7K

$693 ₾1,865

-64.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 ₽14.9K

$462 ₾1,244

-57.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 ₽33.4K

$1,337 ₾3,597

-66.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₽25.7K

$779 ₾2,096

-56.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,645 ₽123.5K

$2,530 ₾6,805

-34.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,403 ₽105.3K

$1,430 ₾3,847

-1.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,015 ₽76.3K

$633 ₾1,702

60.51%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $249 in Kaluga and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaluga pays 61% 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 $188 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 48% in total monthly costs ($798 vs $1,185 including rent). Kaluga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaluga pays 61% 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: $249 in Kaluga versus $693 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 31% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $361 in Kaluga versus $263 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $798 in Kaluga versus $1,185 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 48% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.