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: $979 in Kaluga versus $1,247 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,536 in Kaluga versus $2,025 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,093 in Kaluga versus $2,803 in Tbilisi.

Living in Kaluga costs roughly 21% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaluga 28% lower, Tbilisi 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.69 ₽819

$11.33 ₾29.45

-14.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.01 ₽2,958

$38.71 ₾101

-9.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₽396

$9.52 ₾24.73

-50.74%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₽211

$3.41 ₾8.85

-26.69%

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

$0.90 ₽75.8

$1.04 ₾2.71

-13.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₽47.56

$0.64 ₾1.66

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₽112

$2.61 ₾6.79

-49.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₽153

$3.24 ₾8.43

-43.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ₽101

$2.17 ₾5.65

-45.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₽82.6

$0.74 ₾1.92

32.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 ₽197

$1.71 ₾4.45

36.26%

Eggs

$1.98 ₽167

$2.83 ₾7.36

-30.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ₽1,111

$9.22 ₾23.95

42.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 ₽554

$6.76 ₾17.55

-2.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.59 ₽1,148

$12.77 ₾33.17

6.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₽143

$1.64 ₾4.26

3.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₽134

$1.77 ₾4.60

-10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₽132

$1.87 ₾4.85

-16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₽235

$2.44 ₾6.34

13.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 ₽44.56

$0.87 ₾2.25

-39.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₽41.23

$0.65 ₾1.70

-24.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ₽117

$1.40 ₾3.64

-0.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽72.3

$0.74 ₾1.93

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ₽261

$3.41 ₾8.86

-9.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.56 ₽723

$7.60 ₾19.75

12.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₽98.8

$1.70 ₾4.41

-31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₽224

$2.38 ₾6.20

11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ₽35.97

$0.36 ₾0.94

19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.67 ₽1,493

$15.24 ₾39.60

15.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 ₽78.6

$1.18 ₾3.07

-21.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₾1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 ₽543

$11.34 ₾29.47

-43.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽70.9

$1.33 ₾3.46

-36.84%

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

$49.5K ₽4.2M

$24.7K ₾64.2K

100.07%

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

$23.9K ₽2.0M

$22.0K ₾57.2K

8.29%

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

$119 ₽10.1K

$88.9 ₾231

34.36%

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

$5.94 ₽502

$13.33 ₾34.63

-55.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.79 ₽743

$20.12 ₾52.3

-56.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.00 ₽4,055

$68.7 ₾178

-30.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 ₽2,027

$18.09 ₾47.01

32.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.45 ₽291

$6.72 ₾17.46

-48.66%

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

$329 ₽27.8K

$374 ₾971

-11.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 ₽7,950

$101 ₾263

-7.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ₽2,963

$39.33 ₾102

-10.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ₽15.2K

$118 ₾305

52.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 ₽7,580

$122 ₾318

-26.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₽25.4K

$682 ₾1,773

-55.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 ₽17.8K

$456 ₾1,186

-53.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₽49.2K

$1,303 ₾3,385

-55.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₽29.9K

$899 ₾2,337

-60.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,452 ₽122.7K

$2,449 ₾6,365

-40.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,256 ₽106.1K

$1,452 ₾3,774

-13.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 ₽54.1K

$652 ₾1,695

-1.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.12

12.62

83.20%

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

Last update for Kaluga: September 12, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $301 in Kaluga and $682 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Kaluga vs $39.00 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $232, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

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 27% in total monthly costs ($979 vs $1,247 including rent). Kaluga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Tbilisi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $301 in Kaluga versus $682 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 16% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $329 in Kaluga versus $374 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $979 in Kaluga versus $1,247 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 27% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.