Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nalchik and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nalchik: $955 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Nalchik
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Nalchik Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Nalchik

🇷🇺 Russia

$955

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $955 per month in Nalchik vs $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Nalchik $955
Tbilisi $1,270

A couple spends around $1,474 per month in Nalchik vs $2,008 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Nalchik $1,474
Tbilisi $2,008

A family of three spends $1,994 per month in Nalchik vs $2,745 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Nalchik $1,994
Tbilisi $2,745

Nalchik is about 25% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nalchik and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Nalchik 30% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 ₽886

$11.51 ₾29.79

-7.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₽3,600

$38.27 ₾99.1

12.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ₽686

$9.80 ₾25.36

-16.12%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ₽242

$3.55 ₾9.19

-18.31%

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

$1.17 ₽98.0

$1.06 ₾2.74

10.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₽36.59

$0.62 ₾1.60

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₽102

$2.76 ₾7.16

-55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₽122

$3.00 ₾7.77

-51.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ₽143

$2.16 ₾5.59

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 ₽32.12

$0.76 ₾1.96

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₽75.8

$1.74 ₾4.51

-47.70%

Eggs

$1.84 ₽153

$2.79 ₾7.21

-34.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₽305

$6.53 ₾16.89

-43.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.22 ₽686

$12.81 ₾33.17

-35.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ₽198

$1.67 ₾4.31

41.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ₽172

$1.85 ₾4.79

11.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ₽177

$1.98 ₾5.13

7.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 ₽213

$2.51 ₾6.49

1.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ₽128

$0.87 ₾2.26

75.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ₽102

$0.73 ₾1.89

68.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₽124

$1.42 ₾3.67

4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₽52.5

$0.72 ₾1.88

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₽205

$3.38 ₾8.74

-27.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 ₽519

$7.84 ₾20.31

-20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₽99.9

$1.62 ₾4.19

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₽119

$2.38 ₾6.15

-40.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₽31.70

$0.37 ₾0.96

2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 ₽2,555

$15.52 ₾40.16

97.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ₽142

$1.14 ₾2.94

49.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₽85.2

$1.50 ₾3.87

-32.00%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

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

$67.7 ₽5,650

$88.3 ₾228

-23.30%

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

$4.71 ₽393

$13.08 ₾33.86

-63.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.02 ₽1,003

$19.53 ₾50.6

-38.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.28 ₽1,025

$64.2 ₾166

-80.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 ₽357

$6.99 ₾18.10

-38.91%

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

$245 ₽20.5K

$373 ₾966

-34.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,297

$103 ₾266

8.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 ₽3,855

$40.48 ₾105

14.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 ₽14.4K

$116 ₾301

48.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₽9,999

$122 ₾316

-1.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₽30.8K

$677 ₾1,753

-45.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 ₽24.3K

$454 ₾1,176

-35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₽44.6K

$1,277 ₾3,305

-58.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 ₽35.2K

$890 ₾2,304

-52.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$491 ₽41.0K

$2,410 ₾6,238

-79.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$361 ₽30.1K

$1,418 ₾3,670

-74.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 ₽32.9K

$703 ₾1,819

-43.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.5

12.62

38.67%

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

Last update for Nalchik: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nalchik

$291 30.5%

Tbilisi

$454 35.8% 55.9% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Nalchik

$202 21.2%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 15.2% $31

Groceries & Markets

Nalchik

$162 * 17%

Tbilisi

$233 18.3% 43.5% $71

Eating Out

Nalchik

$160 16.7%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 19.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nalchik

$84 8.8%

Tbilisi

$121 9.5% 43.2% $36

Getting Around

Nalchik

$34 * 3.5%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 34.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nalchik

$21 2.2%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 275% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Nalchik versus $677 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 78% 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 $43.00 in Nalchik versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. Groceries tell a different story – $162 in Nalchik vs $233 in Tbilisi – so Nalchik wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Nalchik

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

17:29 5:29 PM

1 h ahead of Nalchik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

239,054

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

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Nalchik Tbilisi 220 km

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

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

Nalchik vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $955 in Nalchik, $1,270 in Tbilisi – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,432 per month in Nalchik and $1,906 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nalchik, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 97% less in Nalchik. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $245 per month in Nalchik and $373 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nalchik, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Nalchik it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $955 in Nalchik to $1,270 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nalchik. 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.