Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semey and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Semey, Kazakhstan
Tbilisi, Georgia
Semey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$712
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Semey versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

  • Semey $712
  • Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Semey versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

  • Semey $1,148
  • Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,584 in Semey versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

  • Semey $1,584
  • Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Semey costs roughly 44% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Semey 48% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Semey
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.93 ₸2,235
$11.63 ₾30.07
-57.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.82 ₸9,898
$37.83 ₾97.8
-42.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.49 ₸2,491
$9.66 ₾24.98
-43.17%
Cappuccino
$1.70 ₸771
$3.57 ₾9.24
-52.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 ₸345
$1.08 ₾2.78
-29.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₸216
$0.56 ₾1.45
-14.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.91 ₸412
$2.62 ₾6.78
-65.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₸614
$3.04 ₾7.85
-55.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Semey
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 ₸469
$2.17 ₾5.60
-52.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.37 ₸167
$0.80 ₾2.06
-53.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 ₸845
$1.74 ₾4.51
6.90%
Eggs
$1.53 ₸693
$2.83 ₾7.31
-45.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.36 ₸2,432
$9.31 ₾24.07
-42.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 ₸1,751
$6.52 ₾16.85
-40.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.43 ₸2,461
$12.95 ₾33.50
-58.07%
Apples (1kg)
$1.23 ₸559
$1.68 ₾4.33
-26.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 ₸748
$1.85 ₾4.79
-10.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.72 ₸781
$1.97 ₾5.10
-12.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.69 ₸768
$2.42 ₾6.25
-30.17%
Potato (1kg)
$0.39 ₸176
$0.82 ₾2.11
-52.44%
Onion (1kg)
$0.60 ₸274
$0.74 ₾1.91
-18.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 ₸461
$1.34 ₾3.47
-23.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₸448
$0.77 ₾2.00
28.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.46 ₸1,116
$3.57 ₾9.24
-31.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.24 ₸3,282
$7.67 ₾19.83
-5.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₸596
$1.70 ₾4.39
-22.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 ₸998
$2.40 ₾6.21
-8.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Semey
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₸114
$0.40 ₾1.05
-37.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.69 ₸7,119
$15.23 ₾39.38
3.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₸586
$1.14 ₾2.95
13.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 ₸515
$0.78 ₾2.02
46.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.54 ₸2,968
$11.83 ₾30.58
-44.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.65 ₸293
$1.45 ₾3.75
-55.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K ₸14.7M
$24.6K ₾63.6K
31.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ₸11.9M
$22.3K ₾57.8K
17.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semey
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.66 ₸15.3K
$88.8 ₾230
-62.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.01 ₸4,088
$13.12 ₾33.93
-31.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.84 ₸8,544
$19.67 ₾50.9
-4.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Semey
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.36 ₸19.2K
$64.1 ₾166
-33.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.23 ₸5,095
$19.04 ₾49.24
-41.02%
Cinema Ticket
$4.39 ₸1,993
$7.12 ₾18.42
-38.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Semey
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$132 ₸60.0K
$375 ₾971
-64.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,406 ₸2.0M
$10.5K ₾27.1K
-57.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Semey
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.90 ₸13.1K
$104 ₾268
-72.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.47 ₸11.6K
$39.26 ₾102
-35.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₸45.4K
$117 ₾303
-14.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.6 ₸34.7K
$122 ₾315
-37.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Semey
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$339 ₸153.5K
$695 ₾1,798
-51.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$229 ₸103.8K
$451 ₾1,167
-49.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$611 ₸276.9K
$1,355 ₾3,504
-54.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$489 ₸221.6K
$906 ₾2,343
-46.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,205 ₸546.7K
$2,295 ₾5,934
-47.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$739 ₸335.4K
$1,345 ₾3,478
-45.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Semey
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$664 ₾1,718
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.25
12.62
52.54%

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

Last update for Semey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Semey
$229
Tbilisi
$451 97.2% $222
Groceries & Markets
Semey
$154
Tbilisi
$234 51.6% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Semey
$104
Tbilisi
$172 65.4% $68
Eating Out
Semey
$88
Tbilisi
$191 115% $102
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semey
$62
Tbilisi
$122 97.7% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Semey
$51
Tbilisi
$78 53.1% $27
Getting Around
Semey
$24
Tbilisi
$22 7.4% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $339 in Semey and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22 in Semey vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $234 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Semey
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
15:01 3:01 PM
14:01 2:01 PM
1 h behind Semey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
310,456
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Semey Tbilisi 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Semey
  • Tbilisi

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
Semey vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Semey cheaper than Tbilisi?
Semey is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,068 in Semey and $1,904 in Tbilisi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Semey and Tbilisi?
Rent for a central apartment: $339 in Semey versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 3% less than in Semey. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $132 in Semey versus $375 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Semey or in Tbilisi?
At $712 in Semey versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semey but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Semey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Semey or in Tbilisi?
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.

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