Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustavi and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustavi: $854 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Rustavi
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Rustavi Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Rustavi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$854

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rustavi and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rustavi and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $854 per month in Rustavi vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rustavi $854
Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $1,269 per month in Rustavi vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rustavi $1,269
Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $1,683 per month in Rustavi vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rustavi $1,683
Istanbul $3,256

Rustavi is about 44% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rustavi sits 37% below the global median, while Istanbul is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.07 ₾26.07

$11.96 ₺592

-15.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.77 ₾79.7

$57.2 ₺2,834

-46.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 ₾27.55

$9.51 ₺471

11.88%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ₾5.21

$4.40 ₺218

-54.32%

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

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.75 ₺86.6

-55.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₾1.42

$0.56 ₺27.57

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ₾3.29

$4.71 ₺233

-73.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₾4.89

$6.14 ₺304

-69.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₾4.67

$1.24 ₺61.6

45.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₾1.30

$0.95 ₺47.25

-47.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ₾3.27

$2.28 ₺113

-44.74%

Eggs

$2.36 ₾6.12

$2.45 ₺121

-3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.95 ₾15.40

$10.56 ₺523

-43.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 ₾12.37

$5.50 ₺272

-13.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.16 ₾26.31

$21.65 ₺1,072

-53.07%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 ₾2.56

$1.83 ₺90.6

-45.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₾4.16

$2.29 ₺113

-29.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ₾3.86

$1.28 ₺63.4

16.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ₾2.78

$1.82 ₺90.1

-41.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₾1.99

$0.66 ₺32.74

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ₾1.70

$0.63 ₺31.14

4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₾3.21

$1.27 ₺62.8

-2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₾1.66

$0.56 ₺27.62

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ₾7.97

$2.36 ₺117

30.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.90 ₾10.08

$12.98 ₺642

-69.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾3.98

$2.48 ₺123

-37.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 ₾6.58

$3.50 ₺174

-27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₾0.87

$0.82 ₺40.77

-58.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.54 ₾29.87

$65.2 ₺3,228

-82.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₾1.93

$1.33 ₺65.7

-43.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ₾1.04

$0.90 ₺44.60

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ₾10.09

$10.91 ₺540

-64.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₾3.28

$1.43 ₺70.7

-11.19%

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

$22.9K ₾59.2K

$49.6K ₺2.5M

-53.89%

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

$9,677 ₾25.1K

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-77.59%

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

$76.7 ₾198

$88.8 ₺4,395

-13.63%

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

$7.54 ₾19.53

$11.69 ₺579

-35.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.60 ₾30.04

$16.09 ₺797

-27.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.30 ₾70.7

$76.3 ₺3,776

-64.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$22.72 ₺1,125

-13.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 ₾12.43

$8.26 ₺409

-41.89%

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

$131 ₾338

$1,015 ₺50.2K

-87.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,654 ₾6,871

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-89.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ₾145

$53.3 ₺2,636

5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 ₾105

$40.55 ₺2,008

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 ₾246

$100 ₺4,956

-5.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 ₾223

$93.5 ₺4,630

-7.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 ₾704

$977 ₺48.4K

-72.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 ₾664

$627 ₺31.0K

-59.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ₾1,209

$1,980 ₺98.0K

-76.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ₾802

$1,147 ₺56.8K

-72.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,038 ₾2,686

$3,095 ₺153.2K

-66.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$772 ₾1,999

$1,787 ₺88.5K

-56.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 ₾1,147

$1,213 ₺60.1K

-63.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

-68.05%

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

Last update for Rustavi: October 20, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rustavi

$256 30%

Istanbul

$627 41.1% 145% $371

Groceries & Markets

Rustavi

$172 20.2%

Istanbul

$263 17.2% 52.2% $90

Eating Out

Rustavi

$152 17.8%

Istanbul

$222 14.6% 46% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Rustavi

$125 14.6%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 3.4% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rustavi

$96 11.2%

Istanbul

$117 7.6% 21.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Rustavi

$37 4.3%

Istanbul

$93 6.1% 151% $56

Getting Around

Rustavi

$16 1.8%

Istanbul

$74 4.9% 375% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Rustavi versus $977 in Istanbul. 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 174% higher in Istanbul, 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 $31.00 in Rustavi versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $263 – making Rustavi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Rustavi

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

15:25 3:25 PM

1 h behind Rustavi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,333

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rustavi Istanbul 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rustavi
Istanbul

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

Rustavi vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,282 per month in Rustavi and $2,287 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $131 per month in Rustavi and $1,015 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rustavi, where all-in costs run around $854, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Rustavi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rustavi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Rustavi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.