Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustavi and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustavi: $848 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Rustavi
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Rustavi Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Rustavi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$848

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $848 per month in Rustavi vs $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Rustavi $848
Tbilisi $1,278

A couple spends around $1,263 per month in Rustavi vs $2,017 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Rustavi $1,263
Tbilisi $2,017

A family of three spends $1,679 per month in Rustavi vs $2,755 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Rustavi $1,679
Tbilisi $2,755

Rustavi is about 34% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rustavi and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Rustavi 37% lower, Tbilisi 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₾26.38

$11.62 ₾30.07

-12.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.57 ₾79.1

$38.41 ₾99.4

-20.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 ₾27.48

$9.74 ₾25.20

9.03%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ₾5.15

$3.56 ₾9.21

-44.10%

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

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.08 ₾2.80

-30.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₾1.32

$0.56 ₾1.46

-8.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ₾3.20

$2.73 ₾7.05

-54.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$3.13 ₾8.09

-36.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ₾4.48

$2.14 ₾5.55

-19.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ₾1.31

$0.75 ₾1.95

-32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.15

$1.80 ₾4.66

-32.22%

Eggs

$2.34 ₾6.06

$2.80 ₾7.25

-16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 ₾15.44

$9.43 ₾24.41

-36.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ₾12.66

$7.00 ₾18.10

-30.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 ₾25.10

$12.69 ₾32.84

-23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 ₾2.54

$1.63 ₾4.22

-39.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₾4.14

$1.84 ₾4.77

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ₾3.88

$1.97 ₾5.09

-23.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ₾2.81

$2.47 ₾6.39

-55.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₾1.98

$0.75 ₾1.95

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ₾1.70

$0.67 ₾1.74

-1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ₾3.27

$1.41 ₾3.66

-10.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.81

$0.72 ₾1.86

-2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ₾8.32

$3.51 ₾9.09

-8.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.78 ₾9.77

$7.89 ₾20.40

-52.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₾4.10

$1.70 ₾4.41

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₾6.52

$2.37 ₾6.12

6.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.95

$0.38 ₾0.98

-2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 ₾29.35

$15.29 ₾39.57

-25.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₾1.90

$1.19 ₾3.08

-38.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₾0.97

$0.74 ₾1.91

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 ₾10.13

$11.89 ₾30.76

-67.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₾3.28

$1.46 ₾3.77

-13.01%

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

$23.5K ₾60.8K

$25.0K ₾64.6K

-5.95%

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

$9,645 ₾25.0K

$22.8K ₾59.1K

-57.75%

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

$77.0 ₾199

$88.1 ₾228

-12.64%

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

$7.84 ₾20.28

$12.71 ₾32.87

-38.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ₾29.78

$19.79 ₾51.2

-41.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.33 ₾70.7

$64.3 ₾166

-57.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.31 ₾49.97

$19.17 ₾49.60

0.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 ₾12.37

$6.65 ₾17.20

-28.12%

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

$130 ₾337

$371 ₾961

-64.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,684 ₾6,946

$9,163 ₾23.7K

-70.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 ₾148

$102 ₾264

-44.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.57 ₾105

$39.65 ₾103

2.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ₾247

$118 ₾306

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ₾222

$120 ₾310

-28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₾712

$690 ₾1,785

-60.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 ₾646

$461 ₾1,193

-45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₾1,197

$1,362 ₾3,524

-66.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 ₾796

$897 ₾2,321

-65.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,037 ₾2,684

$2,277 ₾5,892

-54.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 ₾2,008

$1,378 ₾3,565

-43.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$447 ₾1,156

$710 ₾1,837

-37.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

3.75%

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

Last update for Rustavi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rustavi

$250 29.4%

Tbilisi

$461 36.1% 84.6% $211

Groceries & Markets

Rustavi

$172 20.2%

Tbilisi

$235 18.4% 37% $64

Eating Out

Rustavi

$153 18%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 25.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Rustavi

$125 14.8%

Tbilisi

$171 13.4% 36.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rustavi

$96 11.4%

Tbilisi

$121 9.4% 25.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Rustavi

$37 4.4%

Tbilisi

$78 6.1% 110% $41

Getting Around

Rustavi

$15 1.8%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 40.7% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $275 in Rustavi versus $690 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 59% higher in Tbilisi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Rustavi versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $235 – making Rustavi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Rustavi

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

Same time as Rustavi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,333

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rustavi Tbilisi 24 km

From you

Rustavi
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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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $848 in Rustavi, $1,278 in Tbilisi – Rustavi comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,272 per month in Rustavi and $1,918 in Tbilisi. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $275 there versus $690 in Tbilisi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Rustavi and $38 in Tbilisi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $848 in Rustavi and $1,278 in Tbilisi. That makes Rustavi about 34% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Rustavi, where all-in costs run around $848, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Rustavi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Rustavi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.