Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Almaty

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tbilisi and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,242
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,962
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $2,682 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,682
Almaty $2,883

Tbilisi is about 10% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.46

$13.31 ₸6,034

-17.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-11.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$8.80 ₸3,988

8.86%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$3.30 ₸1,497

8.79%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$1.37 ₸620

-24.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$0.90 ₸409

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

$3.13 ₸1,419

-12.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

$4.10 ₸1,860

-22.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$1.66 ₸754

28.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.90 ₸406

-17.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$2.06 ₸933

-16.50%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$2.37 ₸1,074

17.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$12.64 ₸5,730

-25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$6.62 ₸3,000

-2.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$10.87 ₸4,928

19.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$1.86 ₸845

-9.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$2.37 ₸1,075

-22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$2.99 ₸1,358

-36.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$2.83 ₸1,282

-15.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$0.77 ₸347

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$0.58 ₸264

17.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$1.59 ₸723

-10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.99 ₸449

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$2.54 ₸1,153

40.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

$11.04 ₸5,005

-32.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.43

$1.21 ₸550

41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

$2.41 ₸1,093

-4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

$0.25 ₸113

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

$21.84 ₸9,901

-30.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.28 ₸581

-7.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$0.64 ₸291

21.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.50

$10.74 ₸4,870

9.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$0.69 ₸314

104.35%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

8.89%

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

$21.7K ₾56.3K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-25.89%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-0.16%

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

$13.33 ₾34.55

$10.83 ₸4,909

23.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$17.40 ₸7,887

12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-7.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.86

$26.58 ₸12.1K

-29.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$6.68 ₸3,031

-1.95%

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

$377 ₾978

$446 ₸202.2K

-15.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-10.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$93.7 ₸42.5K

9.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-13.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$143 ₸64.7K

-18.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$133 ₸60.5K

-9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$773 ₸350.6K

-12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

$497 ₸225.5K

-9.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$1,390 ₸630.4K

-8.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$880 ₸398.9K

0.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$2,546 ₸1.2M

-5.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$1,506 ₸683.0K

-6.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$834 ₸377.9K

-15.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

20.65

-38.89%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 10.2% $46

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 8.1% $19

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

Almaty

$205 15% 10.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 9.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 3.7% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 6.8% $5.3

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Almaty

$27 2% 25% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $675 in Tbilisi versus $773 in Almaty. 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 18% higher in Almaty, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $251 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

12:42 12:42 PM

2 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Almaty 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Almaty

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

Tbilisi vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,863 per month in Tbilisi and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,242 in Tbilisi and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 12%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,242, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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