Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Chita Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Chita

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Tbilisi versus $1,148 in Chita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Tbilisi versus $1,782 in Chita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,489 in Tbilisi versus $2,415 in Chita.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 6% more expensive than Chita, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 9% lower, Chita 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 ₾28.75

$12.67 ₽918

-14.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.17 ₾117

$18.89 ₽1,369

133.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 ₾21.94

$5.00 ₽363

65.60%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₾8.00

$1.93 ₽140

56.48%

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

$0.76 ₾2.02

$0.55 ₽39.51

38.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.22

$0.29 ₽20.87

58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ₾5.93

$1.24 ₽89.6

80.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.95

$1.88 ₽136

59.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.11

$1.43 ₽104

34.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₾1.91

$0.49 ₽35.74

46.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.87

$1.91 ₽138

-3.66%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.48

$2.02 ₽147

21.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₾19.67

$15.45 ₽1,120

-51.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 ₾17.16

$6.17 ₽447

5.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 ₾25.70

$12.45 ₽902

-22.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ₾3.18

$2.86 ₽207

-58.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₾4.14

$2.48 ₽180

-37.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.75

$2.57 ₽186

-30.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 ₾5.90

$1.91 ₽139

16.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.73

$0.75 ₽54.2

-13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.79

$0.48 ₽34.88

41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.16

$3.79 ₽275

-68.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.86

$0.67 ₽48.56

4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ₾7.82

$2.99 ₽217

-1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ₾19.41

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₾4.02

$0.79 ₽57.3

92.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.95

$1.11 ₽80.6

102.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.49 ₽35.56

-26.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.60 ₾38.68

$25.05 ₽1,815

-41.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.97

$2.20 ₽159

-31.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₾1.92

$0.59 ₽42.68

23.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾19.74

$7.03 ₽509

5.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.01

$0.74 ₽53.6

54.05%

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

$18.5K ₾49.0K

$32.1K ₽2.3M

-42.33%

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

$20.3K ₾53.6K

$19.0K ₽1.4M

6.47%

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

$73.9 ₾196

$118 ₽8,530

-37.24%

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

$11.71 ₾31.01

$6.42 ₽465

82.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.16 ₾48.09

$10.27 ₽744

76.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 ₾163

$31.90 ₽2,311

93.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.66 ₾44.12

$14.33 ₽1,038

16.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 ₾17.50

$6.22 ₽451

6.27%

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

$264 ₾700

$262 ₽19.0K

0.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,145 ₾13.6K

$7,069 ₽512.2K

-27.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 ₾198

$64.3 ₽4,659

16.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 ₾117

$51.5 ₽3,732

-14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾312

$77.1 ₽5,586

52.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾301

$88.2 ₽6,392

28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₾1,833

$635 ₽46.0K

9.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,203

$453 ₽32.8K

0.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 ₾3,504

$1,162 ₽84.2K

13.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,089

$840 ₽60.9K

-6.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,431 ₾6,440

$2,785 ₽201.8K

-12.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 ₾3,818

$2,042 ₽148.0K

-29.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$645 ₾1,709

$780 ₽56.5K

-17.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

-40.55%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chita: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $692 in Tbilisi and $635 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chita pays 21% 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 $19.00 in Chita. Groceries flip the comparison at $204 vs $231, with Tbilisi 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 Chita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Chita differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,218 vs $1,148 including rent). Chita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Chita earns 21% less. 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: $692 in Tbilisi versus $635 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chita – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $44.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,148 in Chita versus $1,218 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chita but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Chita 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, Tbilisi and Chita 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 Chita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.