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: $1,292 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,191 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Saint Petersburg versus $1,856 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,794 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,522 in Tbilisi.

Living in Saint Petersburg is roughly 8% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saint Petersburg 3% lower, Tbilisi 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.41 ₽750

$10.91 ₾28.57

-13.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 ₽3,991

$43.19 ₾113

15.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 ₽454

$8.53 ₾22.32

-33.29%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₽209

$2.99 ₾7.82

-12.37%

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

$1.09 ₽86.7

$0.81 ₾2.12

34.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽45.76

$0.42 ₾1.09

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ₽257

$2.16 ₾5.66

49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ₽305

$2.88 ₾7.53

32.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₽92.9

$1.94 ₾5.08

-40.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 ₽72.3

$0.68 ₾1.77

33.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ₽126

$1.85 ₾4.83

-14.59%

Eggs

$1.86 ₽149

$2.53 ₾6.63

-26.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 ₽965

$7.53 ₾19.70

60.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 ₽422

$6.26 ₾16.40

-15.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₽866

$9.59 ₾25.10

13.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 ₽139

$1.16 ₾3.04

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽143

$1.64 ₾4.29

9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ₽160

$1.88 ₾4.93

6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 ₽283

$2.23 ₾5.84

58.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ₽66.2

$0.70 ₾1.83

18.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽50.5

$0.64 ₾1.68

-1.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₽108

$1.18 ₾3.10

15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₽62.3

$0.70 ₾1.83

11.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₽237

$2.97 ₾7.79

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 ₽720

$7.43 ₾19.46

21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽80.6

$1.54 ₾4.03

-34.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₽164

$2.28 ₾5.98

-10.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ₽74.5

$0.36 ₾0.93

158.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ₽4,217

$14.73 ₾38.56

258.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 ₽219

$1.42 ₾3.71

92.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₽46.67

$0.69 ₾1.81

-14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₽607

$7.27 ₾19.02

4.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 ₽58.4

$1.09 ₾2.86

-33.03%

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

$37.4K ₽3.0M

$18.3K ₾48.0K

103.94%

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

$37.2K ₽3.0M

$20.5K ₾53.6K

81.45%

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

$132 ₽10.5K

$74.4 ₾195

77.27%

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

$6.67 ₽532

$11.71 ₾30.65

-43.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.07 ₽564

$17.60 ₾46.08

-59.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.62 ₽2,921

$60.3 ₾158

-39.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₽1,807

$16.29 ₾42.65

39.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 ₽467

$6.51 ₾17.03

-9.98%

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

$398 ₽31.7K

$269 ₾704

47.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,616 ₽767.1K

$5,154 ₾13.5K

86.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 ₽7,967

$77.1 ₾202

29.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 ₽4,352

$43.48 ₾114

25.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ₽9,056

$118 ₾310

-4.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 ₽10.9K

$113 ₾295

20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 ₽62.6K

$709 ₾1,857

10.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 ₽37.9K

$465 ₾1,216

2.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 ₽114.4K

$1,316 ₾3,444

9.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 ₽71.2K

$767 ₾2,007

16.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,583 ₽365.6K

$2,492 ₾6,525

83.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,954 ₽235.7K

$1,442 ₾3,775

104.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,206 ₽96.2K

$663 ₾1,735

81.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.95

11.89

109.84%

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

Last update for Saint Petersburg: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $785 in Saint Petersburg and $709 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 82% 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: $50.0 in Saint Petersburg vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $204 per month, with Tbilisi 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

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

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 82% 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: $785 in Saint Petersburg versus $709 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,292 per month in Saint Petersburg versus $1,191 in Tbilisi – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 259% less than in Saint Petersburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,191 in Tbilisi versus $1,292 in Saint Petersburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Saint Petersburg. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,191 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi 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 Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Saint Petersburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.