Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaganda and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $926 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Karaganda
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$926
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,266
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karaganda 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 Karaganda and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $926 per month in Karaganda vs $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Karaganda $926
  • Tbilisi $1,266

A couple spends around $1,492 per month in Karaganda vs $2,007 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Karaganda $1,492
  • Tbilisi $2,007

A family of three spends $2,058 per month in Karaganda vs $2,749 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Karaganda $2,058
  • Tbilisi $2,749

Karaganda is about 27% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Karaganda and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Karaganda 31% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Karaganda
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.85 ₸4,452
$11.34 ₾29.35
-13.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.09 ₸15.9K
$39.05 ₾101
-10.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.43 ₸2,453
$9.63 ₾24.92
-43.61%
Cappuccino
$1.92 ₸869
$3.46 ₾8.95
-44.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 ₸413
$1.09 ₾2.82
-16.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ₸290
$0.63 ₾1.62
1.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.36 ₸617
$2.77 ₾7.17
-50.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₸1,267
$3.10 ₾8.04
-9.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Karaganda
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 ₸605
$2.25 ₾5.81
-40.44%
White Bread (500g)
$0.49 ₸222
$0.80 ₾2.07
-38.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.32 ₸597
$1.76 ₾4.55
-25.00%
Eggs
$1.79 ₸808
$2.75 ₾7.11
-34.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.12 ₸5,929
$9.39 ₾24.32
39.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.40 ₸2,442
$6.66 ₾17.23
-18.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.19 ₸5,060
$12.92 ₾33.45
-13.39%
Apples (1kg)
$1.49 ₸673
$1.67 ₾4.31
-10.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 ₸856
$1.80 ₾4.65
5.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 ₸1,299
$1.92 ₾4.97
49.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.17 ₸979
$2.41 ₾6.24
-9.96%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 ₸301
$0.86 ₾2.23
-22.09%
Onion (1kg)
$0.59 ₸267
$0.69 ₾1.80
-14.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 ₸467
$1.40 ₾3.62
-26.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 ₸310
$0.71 ₾1.85
-2.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.25 ₸1,016
$3.51 ₾9.08
-35.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.43 ₸3,813
$7.61 ₾19.69
10.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₸610
$1.63 ₾4.21
-17.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 ₸957
$2.31 ₾5.98
-8.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Karaganda
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 ₸94.9
$0.37 ₾0.96
-43.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.75 ₸7,119
$15.67 ₾40.57
0.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.26 ₸568
$1.14 ₾2.95
10.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 ₸541
$0.79 ₾2.05
51.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 ₸1,496
$11.86 ₾30.70
-72.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.56 ₸254
$1.40 ₾3.62
-60.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0K ₸10.0M
$24.8K ₾64.2K
-11.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K ₸14.4M
$21.9K ₾56.6K
46.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karaganda
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.2 ₸32.7K
$89.1 ₾231
-18.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.01 ₸4,523
$13.21 ₾34.19
-24.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.86 ₸5,360
$19.76 ₾51.1
-39.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Karaganda
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.00 ₸20.8K
$64.9 ₾168
-29.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.82 ₸8,505
$19.02 ₾49.24
-1.05%
Cinema Ticket
$5.34 ₸2,416
$6.57 ₾17.02
-18.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Karaganda
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$135 ₸60.8K
$377 ₾975
-64.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$10.8K ₾27.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Karaganda
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.9 ₸26.6K
$102 ₾265
-42.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.8 ₸26.1K
$39.70 ₾103
45.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 ₸35.8K
$118 ₾305
-32.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.6 ₸38.7K
$123 ₾320
-30.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Karaganda
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$394 ₸178.2K
$666 ₾1,724
-40.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$273 ₸123.2K
$449 ₾1,163
-39.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$738 ₸333.5K
$1,284 ₾3,324
-42.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$536 ₸242.3K
$890 ₾2,303
-39.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,053 ₸476.1K
$2,425 ₾6,276
-56.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$711 ₸321.5K
$1,380 ₾3,573
-48.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Karaganda
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$569 ₸257.3K
$680 ₾1,760
-16.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.25
12.62
52.54%

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

Last update for Karaganda: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Karaganda
$273
Tbilisi
$449 64.8% $177
Groceries & Markets
Karaganda
$215
Tbilisi
$234 8.6% $19
Eating Out
Karaganda
$137
Tbilisi
$188 37.5% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Karaganda
$127
Tbilisi
$172 36.2% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karaganda
$94
Tbilisi
$122 29.7% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Karaganda
$57
Tbilisi
$78 37.7% $21
Getting Around
Karaganda
$24
Tbilisi
$22 6.6% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Karaganda versus $666 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 19% higher in Tbilisi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Karaganda versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $234 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Karaganda
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
15:16 3:16 PM
13:16 1:16 PM
2 h behind Karaganda
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
520,486
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Karaganda Tbilisi 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Karaganda
  • Tbilisi

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Karaganda vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Karaganda and in Tbilisi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $926 in Karaganda, $1,266 in Tbilisi – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Karaganda compared to Tbilisi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,389 per month in Karaganda and $1,899 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Karaganda and Tbilisi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karaganda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Karaganda and in Tbilisi?
Public transport costs about 1% less in Karaganda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Karaganda and Tbilisi?
Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Karaganda and $377 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $926, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Karaganda and Tbilisi?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $926 in Karaganda to $1,266 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Karaganda or Tbilisi safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Karaganda and Tbilisi?
If budget matters most, go with Karaganda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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