Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Chelyabinsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Chelyabinsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $1,067 in Chelyabinsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $1,609 in Chelyabinsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $2,150 in Chelyabinsk.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 12% more expensive than in Chelyabinsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Chelyabinsk 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$6.32 ₽497

71.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$43.91 ₽3,450

-0.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$5.80 ₽456

43.28%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$2.35 ₽185

26.38%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$1.28 ₽101

-39.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$0.39 ₽30.65

17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$0.92 ₽72.5

132.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$1.88 ₽148

52.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.11 ₽87.0

71.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$0.71 ₽55.9

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$1.34 ₽106

42.54%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$1.66 ₽131

49.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$10.33 ₽812

-25.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$4.76 ₽374

29.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$11.24 ₽883

-14.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$1.85 ₽146

-36.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.85 ₽146

-10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$2.13 ₽168

-13.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$2.94 ₽231

-20.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.69 ₽54.2

2.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$0.76 ₽59.5

-11.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$0.59 ₽46.13

101.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.53 ₽41.89

24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$2.59 ₽203

12.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$5.14 ₽404

49.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$0.91 ₽71.2

74.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$1.74 ₽136

32.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$0.45 ₽35.54

-15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

$18.25 ₽1,434

-19.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$1.86 ₽146

-19.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.73 ₽57.7

-6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$5.22 ₽410

39.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$0.76 ₽59.9

43.42%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$32.2K ₽2.5M

-42.19%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$32.1K ₽2.5M

-36.33%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$127 ₽9,964

-42.44%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$7.25 ₽569

65.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$8.01 ₽629

124.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$82.7 ₽6,497

-26.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

$11.00 ₽865

50.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$5.26 ₽413

27.38%

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

$269 ₾705

$452 ₽35.5K

-40.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$4,452 ₽349.8K

15.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$49.03 ₽3,852

56.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$43.42 ₽3,411

-0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$102 ₽8,028

17.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$73.2 ₽5,746

51.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$534 ₽41.9K

28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$383 ₽30.1K

22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$985 ₽77.4K

37.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$610 ₽47.9K

29.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

$2,538 ₽199.4K

-2.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

$1,697 ₽133.3K

-14.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$702 ₽55.1K

-6.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

14.06

-15.43%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chelyabinsk: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $534 in Chelyabinsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chelyabinsk pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $44.00 in Chelyabinsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $193, with Chelyabinsk cheaper for home cooking.

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 Chelyabinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chelyabinsk wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chelyabinsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Chelyabinsk. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $687 in Tbilisi versus $534 in Chelyabinsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chelyabinsk runs roughly 24% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $452 in Chelyabinsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,067 in Chelyabinsk versus $1,197 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chelyabinsk but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Chelyabinsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chelyabinsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,067 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chelyabinsk hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Chelyabinsk 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 Chelyabinsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.