Cost of Living Comparison Between Rostov-on-Don and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Rostov-on-Don and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,555 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,113 in Rostov-on-Don versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Rostov-on-Don costs roughly 18% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rostov-on-Don 26% lower, Tbilisi 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.24 ₽829

$10.80 ₾28.70

4.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.44 ₽2,836

$43.18 ₾115

-10.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ₽369

$8.29 ₾22.03

-39.81%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₽186

$3.00 ₾7.96

-16.33%

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

$1.20 ₽88.8

$0.82 ₾2.17

46.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₽51.5

$0.46 ₾1.21

52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ₽91.3

$2.23 ₾5.93

-44.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₽168

$2.92 ₾7.75

-21.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ₽75.4

$1.93 ₾5.11

-47.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 ₽40.41

$0.68 ₾1.81

-19.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ₽84.9

$1.88 ₾4.99

-38.83%

Eggs

$1.57 ₽116

$2.54 ₾6.73

-38.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 ₽599

$7.42 ₾19.70

9.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 ₽352

$6.19 ₾16.43

-22.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 ₽545

$9.36 ₾24.86

-21.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 ₽93.2

$1.22 ₾3.25

3.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₽121

$1.66 ₾4.40

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ₽108

$1.80 ₾4.78

-18.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₽178

$2.24 ₾5.96

7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ₽53.0

$0.71 ₾1.89

1.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₽41.22

$0.67 ₾1.79

-16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₽87.7

$1.18 ₾3.13

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₽50.0

$0.66 ₾1.76

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₽245

$2.98 ₾7.91

11.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 ₽586

$7.61 ₾20.21

4.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₽67.5

$1.54 ₾4.08

-40.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₽156

$2.25 ₾5.98

-6.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ₽37.82

$0.36 ₾0.95

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.86 ₽1,392

$14.44 ₾38.36

30.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₽143

$1.49 ₾3.96

30.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₽26.16

$0.68 ₾1.82

-48.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 ₽469

$7.23 ₾19.19

-12.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 ₽57.8

$1.14 ₾3.04

-31.58%

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

$25.3K ₽1.9M

$18.5K ₾49.0K

37.06%

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

$39.9K ₽2.9M

$20.0K ₾53.0K

99.70%

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

$96.2 ₽7,100

$73.7 ₾196

30.59%

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

$7.01 ₽517

$11.64 ₾30.91

-39.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.06 ₽595

$17.84 ₾47.39

-54.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.50 ₽2,989

$60.1 ₾160

-32.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.14 ₽1,855

$16.80 ₾44.63

49.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 ₽365

$6.60 ₾17.54

-25.15%

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

$288 ₽21.2K

$266 ₾708

7.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,215 ₽606.2K

$5,191 ₾13.8K

58.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.54 ₽3,582

$77.7 ₾206

-37.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 ₽4,599

$44.75 ₾119

39.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₽8,322

$117 ₾310

-3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₽7,504

$113 ₾300

-9.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ₽36.1K

$693 ₾1,839

-29.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₽25.9K

$462 ₾1,226

-24.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 ₽69.1K

$1,320 ₾3,505

-28.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 ₽42.5K

$774 ₾2,056

-25.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,807 ₽207.1K

$2,430 ₾6,455

15.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,738 ₽128.3K

$1,446 ₾3,840

20.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$966 ₽71.3K

$673 ₾1,787

43.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

11.89

37.34%

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

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Rostov-on-Don and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rostov-on-Don pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Rostov-on-Don vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $203 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

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

Rostov-on-Don vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rostov-on-Don the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Rostov-on-Don pays 44% 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: $490 in Rostov-on-Don versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rostov-on-Don runs roughly 31% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $288 in Rostov-on-Don versus $266 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $996 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,209 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rostov-on-Don but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Rostov-on-Don the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rostov-on-Don delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $996 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rostov-on-Don hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rostov-on-Don 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 Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.