Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Chita

For one person, living is cheaper in Chita: $1,085 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Chita, Russia
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Chita
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,085
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Chita

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 Chita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,085 in Chita.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Chita $1,085

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,719 in Chita.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Chita $1,719

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $2,354 in Chita.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Chita $2,354

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 17% more expensive than in Chita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Chita 20% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Chita
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$10.90 ₽878
6.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$38.76 ₽3,121
-2.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$5.63 ₽453
71.58%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$2.59 ₽209
37.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$1.24 ₽99.5
-12.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$0.60 ₽48.10
-6.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$1.88 ₽151
39.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$3.27 ₽264
-7.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Chita
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.16 ₽93.5
87.07%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$0.79 ₽63.5
1.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.27 ₽102
37.01%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$1.62 ₽130
74.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$11.42 ₽919
-18.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$5.63 ₽453
15.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$11.55 ₽930
12.12%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.33
$1.85 ₽149
-9.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.88 ₽152
-1.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$1.62 ₽131
21.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$2.93 ₽236
-17.41%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$0.73 ₽58.7
12.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.66 ₽53.3
12.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$1.49 ₽120
-10.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$0.85 ₽68.1
-9.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$3.14 ₽253
13.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$8.10 ₽652
-5.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$1.26 ₽102
34.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$2.34 ₽189
2.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Chita
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
$0.50 ₽40.60
-20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
$25.70 ₽2,069
-40.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$2.21 ₽178
-48.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$0.33 ₽26.83
136.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$5.79 ₽467
104.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$0.93 ₽75.1
55.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$61.2K ₽4.9M
-59.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$39.8K ₽3.2M
-43.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Chita
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$124 ₽10.0K
-28.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$6.48 ₽522
102.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$8.59 ₽692
128.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Chita
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$32.00 ₽2,577
100.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
$26.84 ₽2,161
-29.06%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$7.05 ₽568
0.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Chita
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$326 ₽26.2K
15.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$6,900 ₽555.7K
51.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Chita
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$80.5 ₽6,482
28.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$61.7 ₽4,971
-36.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$129 ₽10.4K
-9.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$113 ₽9,123
7.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Chita
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$481 ₽38.7K
44.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$319 ₽25.7K
41.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$938 ₽75.5K
44.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$620 ₽50.0K
46.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$2,532 ₽203.9K
-9.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$1,436 ₽115.6K
-6.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Chita
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$454 ₽36.5K
46.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
21.45
-41.17%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chita: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Chita
$319 29.2% $132
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Chita
$217 7.4% $17
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Chita
$158 16.8% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Chita
$173 0.8% $1.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Chita
$140 14.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Chita
$46 41.1% $32
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Chita
$32 44.2% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $481 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $39 in Chita. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $217, with Chita cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇷🇺 Chita
🕒 Local time
00:15 12:15 AM
05:15 5:15 AM
5 h ahead of Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
333,679
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.27 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Chita 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Chita

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 Chita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tbilisi and in Chita?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,085 in Chita, so Chita is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Tbilisi or Chita?
Average pay runs 46% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Tbilisi and in Chita?
Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $481 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $39 in Chita. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $2,000 go in Tbilisi compared to Chita?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Chita gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Tbilisi and Chita?
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.
How do I decide between Tbilisi and Chita?
It comes down to priorities – Chita wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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