Cost of Living Comparison Between Richards Bay and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Richards Bay and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,050 in Richards Bay versus $1,286 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,648 in Richards Bay versus $2,044 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,246 in Richards Bay versus $2,802 in Tbilisi.

Living in Richards Bay costs roughly 18% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Richards Bay 24% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.92 R 127

$11.72 ₾30.58

-32.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.77 R 636

$37.88 ₾98.9

4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 R 91.2

$9.74 ₾25.43

-41.48%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R 35.01

$3.41 ₾8.91

-35.78%

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

$1.18 R 18.79

$1.06 ₾2.77

11.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 14.85

$0.65 ₾1.69

43.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 R 24.13

$2.70 ₾7.06

-44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 R 30.61

$3.10 ₾8.09

-38.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 R 19.39

$2.20 ₾5.74

-45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 16.59

$0.81 ₾2.10

28.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 24.95

$1.64 ₾4.27

-4.88%

Eggs

$2.53 R 40.49

$2.75 ₾7.19

-8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 R 105

$9.01 ₾23.52

-27.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 74.9

$6.55 ₾17.10

-28.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.95 R 111

$12.62 ₾32.94

-44.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 R 31.53

$1.67 ₾4.36

17.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R 26.96

$1.81 ₾4.73

-6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 R 32.19

$1.93 ₾5.04

4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R 27.57

$2.59 ₾6.76

-33.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 R 15.04

$0.87 ₾2.26

8.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.26

$0.65 ₾1.69

84.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R 19.53

$1.39 ₾3.63

-12.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.10

$0.80 ₾2.08

48.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 R 38.70

$3.36 ₾8.78

-27.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.91 R 78.6

$7.54 ₾19.68

-34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 23.94

$1.61 ₾4.21

-6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R 32.06

$2.25 ₾5.86

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 R 1,685

$15.11 ₾39.45

597.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 R 7.07

$1.17 ₾3.06

-62.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R 11.82

$0.80 ₾2.09

-7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 R 123

$11.33 ₾29.58

-31.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 R 22.50

$1.33 ₾3.47

6.02%

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

$21.9K R 350.9K

$25.0K ₾65.2K

-12.20%

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

$29.9K R 477.6K

$22.4K ₾58.4K

33.42%

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

$135 R 2,165

$89.1 ₾233

51.94%

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

$30.74 R 492

$13.25 ₾34.58

132.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.23 R 627

$19.46 ₾50.8

101.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 R 597

$68.4 ₾179

-45.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 ₾48.77

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 R 106

$6.63 ₾17.32

0.15%

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

$112 R 1,795

$363 ₾949

-69.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,727 R 43.6K

$10.7K ₾27.8K

-74.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 848

$104 ₾270

-48.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.92 R 303

$38.84 ₾101

-51.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 R 1,263

$117 ₾304

-32.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 R 1,425

$123 ₾320

-27.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 R 5,890

$682 ₾1,782

-46.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 R 4,256

$447 ₾1,166

-40.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 R 11.0K

$1,284 ₾3,353

-46.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 R 9,288

$920 ₾2,401

-36.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$360 R 5,761

$2,487 ₾6,492

-85.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$518 R 8,281

$1,423 ₾3,715

-63.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,225 R 19.6K

$646 ₾1,686

89.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

12.73

-41.08%

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

Last update for Richards Bay: September 1, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $368 in Richards Bay and $682 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richards Bay pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Richards Bay vs $38.00 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $232, with Richards Bay cheaper for home cooking.

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

Richards Bay vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Richards Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 90% higher in Richards Bay, 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: $368 in Richards Bay versus $682 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Richards Bay – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,050 in Richards Bay versus $1,286 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Richards Bay but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Richards Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Richards Bay is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Richards Bay 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 Richards Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.