Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $997 in Samara versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,718 in Samara versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,440 in Samara versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Samara costs roughly 18% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samara 26% lower, Tbilisi 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.92 ₽954

$10.80 ₾28.70

19.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 ₽3,727

$43.18 ₾115

16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 ₽415

$8.29 ₾22.03

-32.09%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ₽171

$3.00 ₾7.96

-22.67%

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

$1.17 ₽86.5

$0.82 ₾2.17

42.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₽51.3

$0.46 ₾1.21

52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ₽82.9

$2.23 ₾5.93

-49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₽186

$2.92 ₾7.75

-13.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ₽79.2

$1.93 ₾5.11

-44.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 ₽44.69

$0.68 ₾1.81

-10.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ₽91.8

$1.88 ₾4.99

-34.04%

Eggs

$1.80 ₽133

$2.54 ₾6.73

-29.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 ₽659

$7.42 ₾19.70

20.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 ₽376

$6.19 ₾16.43

-17.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.69 ₽641

$9.36 ₾24.86

-7.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 ₽115

$1.22 ₾3.25

27.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₽136

$1.66 ₾4.40

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 ₽161

$1.80 ₾4.78

21.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₽171

$2.24 ₾5.96

3.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₽46.83

$0.71 ₾1.89

-11.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 ₽37.96

$0.67 ₾1.79

-23.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 ₽133

$1.18 ₾3.13

52.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽44.75

$0.66 ₾1.76

-7.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ₽228

$2.98 ₾7.91

3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.92 ₽363

$7.61 ₾20.21

-35.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₽64.2

$1.54 ₾4.08

-43.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₽172

$2.25 ₾5.98

3.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₽37.05

$0.36 ₾0.95

38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 ₽2,994

$14.44 ₾38.36

180.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 ₽253

$1.49 ₾3.96

130.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ₽28.61

$0.68 ₾1.82

-42.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ₽275

$7.23 ₾19.19

-48.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 ₽55.0

$1.14 ₾3.04

-35.09%

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

$48.7K ₽3.6M

$18.5K ₾49.0K

163.71%

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

$44.6K ₽3.3M

$20.0K ₾53.0K

123.53%

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

$121 ₽8,917

$73.7 ₾196

64.01%

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

$6.46 ₽477

$11.64 ₾30.91

-44.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.49 ₽627

$17.84 ₾47.39

-52.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.59 ₽2,552

$60.1 ₾160

-42.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 ₽1,011

$16.80 ₾44.63

-18.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 ₽299

$6.60 ₾17.54

-38.64%

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

$313 ₽23.1K

$266 ₾708

17.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,042 ₽445.8K

$5,191 ₾13.8K

16.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 ₽7,333

$77.7 ₾206

27.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.35 ₽3,568

$44.75 ₾119

8.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₽9,549

$117 ₾310

10.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ₽5,515

$113 ₾300

-33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 ₽34.6K

$693 ₾1,839

-32.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₽20.8K

$462 ₾1,226

-39.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 ₽91.1K

$1,320 ₾3,505

-6.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 ₽52.7K

$774 ₾2,056

-7.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 ₾6,455

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 ₾3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,030 ₽76.0K

$673 ₾1,787

53.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.33

11.89

28.93%

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

Last update for Samara: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Samara and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samara pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Samara vs $43.00 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $203, with Samara 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

Samara vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samara and Tbilisi differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($997 vs $1,209 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Samara pays 53% 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: $469 in Samara versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $313 in Samara versus $266 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $997 in Samara versus $1,209 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Samara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Samara 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 Samara 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.