Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,267 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,279 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,011 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,771 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,743 in Tbilisi.

Living in Saint Petersburg costs roughly 1% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 8% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 ₽935

$11.43 ₾29.72

-2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.61 ₽3,413

$38.16 ₾99.2

6.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 ₽511

$9.40 ₾24.45

-35.32%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ₽243

$3.38 ₾8.78

-14.50%

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

$1.42 ₽119

$1.04 ₾2.70

36.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₽57.7

$0.60 ₾1.56

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 ₽224

$2.71 ₾7.05

-1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₽277

$3.04 ₾7.90

8.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₽94.2

$2.27 ₾5.90

-50.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ₽77.1

$0.79 ₾2.04

16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 ₽140

$1.62 ₾4.21

2.47%

Eggs

$1.61 ₽135

$2.74 ₾7.13

-41.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 ₽975

$9.30 ₾24.19

24.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 ₽521

$6.79 ₾17.65

-8.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.26 ₽1,030

$13.01 ₾33.84

-5.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₽146

$1.64 ₾4.27

5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₽134

$1.83 ₾4.77

-13.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ₽144

$1.90 ₾4.94

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 ₽252

$2.57 ₾6.68

16.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₽62.9

$0.84 ₾2.19

-10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ₽52.0

$0.65 ₾1.70

-4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ₽110

$1.36 ₾3.54

-4.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₽61.0

$0.80 ₾2.07

-8.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₽251

$3.40 ₾8.85

-12.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 ₽752

$7.67 ₾19.94

16.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₽91.9

$1.68 ₾4.36

-35.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₽166

$2.38 ₾6.18

-17.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ₽87.1

$0.39 ₾1.02

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ₽4,472

$15.55 ₾40.44

242.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ₽218

$1.14 ₾2.96

128.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₽47.37

$0.74 ₾1.93

-24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 ₽725

$11.32 ₾29.42

-23.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ₽72.7

$1.38 ₾3.60

-37.68%

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

$35.5K ₽3.0M

$24.6K ₾63.9K

44.32%

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

$32.5K ₽2.7M

$22.0K ₾57.2K

47.88%

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

$140 ₽11.8K

$88.7 ₾231

57.69%

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

$7.52 ₽632

$13.18 ₾34.26

-42.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.82 ₽657

$19.68 ₾51.2

-60.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 ₽3,498

$68.3 ₾177

-39.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.27 ₽3,553

$17.94 ₾46.65

135.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 ₽601

$6.42 ₾16.70

11.37%

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

$550 ₽46.2K

$372 ₾967

47.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₽1.4M

$10.8K ₾28.1K

58.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 ₽7,329

$105 ₾272

-16.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₽4,225

$38.83 ₾101

29.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₽11.0K

$115 ₾299

14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₽10.1K

$122 ₾318

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ₽63.1K

$681 ₾1,770

10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₽36.8K

$456 ₾1,185

-3.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 ₽131.1K

$1,312 ₾3,410

18.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₽76.0K

$892 ₾2,321

1.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,215 ₽354.3K

$2,391 ₾6,216

76.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 ₽225.9K

$1,425 ₾3,704

88.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,098 ₽92.3K

$640 ₾1,663

71.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.04

12.62

58.80%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Saint Petersburg and $681 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Saint Petersburg vs $38.00 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $221 vs $236, with Saint Petersburg cheaper for home cooking.

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

Saint Petersburg vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Petersburg wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint Petersburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 72% higher in Saint Petersburg, 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: $750 in Saint Petersburg versus $681 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,267 per month in Saint Petersburg versus $1,279 in Tbilisi – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Saint Petersburg runs roughly 242% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,267 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,279 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saint Petersburg but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Saint Petersburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Saint Petersburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,267 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Saint Petersburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Saint Petersburg 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 Saint Petersburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.