Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karakol and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karakol: $440 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Karakol

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$440

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $440 in Karakol versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Karakol $440
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $651 in Karakol versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Karakol $651
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $862 in Karakol versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Karakol $862
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Karakol costs roughly 65% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karakol 68% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 KGS 205

$11.63 ₾30.07

-79.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.30 KGS 813

$37.83 ₾97.8

-75.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

Cappuccino

$1.77 KGS 155

$3.57 ₾9.24

-50.42%

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

$0.59 KGS 51.8

$1.08 ₾2.78

-45.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 KGS 26.52

$0.56 ₾1.45

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 KGS 97.6

$2.62 ₾6.78

-57.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 KGS 154

$3.04 ₾7.85

-42.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 KGS 67.6

$2.17 ₾5.60

-64.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.22 KGS 19.21

$0.80 ₾2.06

-72.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 KGS 116

$1.74 ₾4.51

-23.56%

Eggs

$1.63 KGS 143

$2.83 ₾7.31

-42.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.69 KGS 585

$9.31 ₾24.07

-28.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 KGS 356

$6.52 ₾16.85

-37.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.71 KGS 499

$12.95 ₾33.50

-55.91%

Apples (1kg)

$0.83 KGS 72.4

$1.68 ₾4.33

-50.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 KGS 122

$1.85 ₾4.79

-24.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 KGS 98.4

$2.42 ₾6.25

-53.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 KGS 47.55

$0.82 ₾2.11

-34.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 KGS 30.67

$1.34 ₾3.47

-73.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KGS 48.74

$0.77 ₾2.00

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 KGS 151

$3.57 ₾9.24

-51.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 KGS 453

$7.67 ₾19.83

-32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 KGS 98.2

$1.70 ₾4.39

-34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 KGS 199

$2.40 ₾6.21

-5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 KGS 16.64

$0.40 ₾1.05

-52.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 KGS 110

$1.14 ₾2.95

9.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 KGS 95.8

$1.45 ₾3.75

-24.83%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

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

$39.39 KGS 3,445

$88.8 ₾230

-55.64%

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

$4.22 KGS 369

$13.12 ₾33.93

-67.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.67 KGS 846

$19.67 ₾50.9

-50.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.73 KGS 1,376

$64.1 ₾166

-75.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

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

$91.8 KGS 8,029

$375 ₾971

-75.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.78 KGS 3,042

$122 ₾315

-71.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 KGS 19.7K

$695 ₾1,798

-67.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 KGS 15.2K

$451 ₾1,167

-61.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 KGS 25.5K

$1,355 ₾3,504

-78.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 KGS 25.4K

$906 ₾2,343

-67.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Karakol: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karakol

–

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Groceries & Markets

Karakol

–

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Eating Out

Karakol

–

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Clothing & Footwear

Karakol

–

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karakol

–

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Karakol

–

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Getting Around

Karakol

–

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $226 in Karakol and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $9 in Karakol vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $128 vs $234 per month, with Karakol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇬 Karakol

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

12:23 12:23 PM

10:23 10:23 AM

2 h behind Karakol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,400

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to KGS – Kyrgyzstani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstani Som (сом)

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 87.46 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 97.66 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

USD to KGS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karakol Tbilisi 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Karakol
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

Karakol vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $440 in Karakol and $1,269 in Tbilisi, so Karakol is about 65% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $661 in Karakol and $1,904 in Tbilisi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $226 in Karakol versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $440 per month in Karakol versus $1,269 in Tbilisi – Karakol is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $440 in Karakol versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Karakol but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Karakol 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, Karakol and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.