Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Riga and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Riga versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Riga versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Riga versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Riga is roughly 31% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riga is 19% above, Tbilisi is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 €14.99

$10.80 ₾28.70

61.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €58.8

$43.18 ₾115

58.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 €8.20

$8.29 ₾22.03

14.84%

Cappuccino

$3.44 €2.97

$3.00 ₾7.96

14.67%

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

$1.77 €1.52

$0.82 ₾2.17

115.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.12

$0.46 ₾1.21

184.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €4.96

$2.23 ₾5.93

158.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.86

$2.92 ₾7.75

93.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.93 ₾5.11

-31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.68 ₾1.81

141.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 €2.47

$1.88 ₾4.99

52.66%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.54 ₾6.73

24.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 €10.64

$7.42 ₾19.70

66.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 €6.51

$6.19 ₾16.43

22.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 €10.00

$9.36 ₾24.86

24.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.22 ₾3.25

41.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.66 ₾4.40

15.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$1.80 ₾4.78

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.24 ₾5.96

58.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.71 ₾1.89

52.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.67 ₾1.79

64.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.18 ₾3.13

51.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

$0.66 ₾1.76

34.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 €5.13

$2.98 ₾7.91

99.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €6.86

$7.61 ₾20.21

4.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.54 ₾4.08

20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.25 ₾5.98

-2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.36 ₾0.95

397.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.67 €29.86

$14.44 ₾38.36

140.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.49 ₾3.96

87.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.68 ₾1.82

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 €11.97

$7.23 ₾19.19

92.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.14 ₾3.04

58.77%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$18.5K ₾49.0K

67.52%

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

$31.4K €27.0K

$20.0K ₾53.0K

57.16%

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

$330 €284

$73.7 ₾196

348.09%

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

$20.25 €17.44

$11.64 ₾30.91

73.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.59 €17.73

$17.84 ₾47.39

15.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 €44.55

$60.1 ₾160

-13.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.43 €26.20

$16.80 ₾44.63

81.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.61 €10.00

$6.60 ₾17.54

75.91%

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

$546 €470

$266 ₾708

105.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K €13.2K

$5,191 ₾13.8K

195.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.0

$77.7 ₾206

18.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.86 €40.35

$44.75 ₾119

4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 €83.8

$117 ₾310

-16.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €118

$113 ₾300

21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 €498

$693 ₾1,839

-16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 €347

$462 ₾1,226

-12.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 €928

$1,320 ₾3,505

-18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 €610

$774 ₾2,056

-8.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,261 €2,808

$2,430 ₾6,455

34.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,229 €1,919

$1,446 ₾3,840

54.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,569 €1,351

$673 ₾1,787

133.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

11.89

-61.06%

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

Last update for Riga: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $579 in Riga and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riga pays 133% 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: $68.0 in Riga vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $203 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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

Riga vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riga and Tbilisi differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $1,209 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Riga pays 133% more on average, 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: $579 in Riga versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $546 in Riga versus $266 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Riga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $1,589 in Riga, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Riga. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi 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, Riga 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 Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Riga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.