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: $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $1,163 in Chita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Tbilisi versus $1,771 in Chita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,483 in Tbilisi versus $2,379 in Chita.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 2% more expensive than Chita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 12% lower, Chita 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 ₾30.00

$12.73 ₽956

-12.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₾116

$19.11 ₽1,436

125.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ₾22.11

$5.12 ₽384

60.55%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ₾8.42

$1.88 ₽141

66.49%

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

$0.74 ₾2.00

$0.55 ₽41.63

34.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₾1.22

$0.31 ₽23.65

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₾5.74

$1.24 ₽93.1

71.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₾8.06

$1.88 ₽142

59.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₾5.09

$1.47 ₽111

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$0.50 ₽37.51

46.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.98

$1.87 ₽140

-1.07%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.58

$1.93 ₽145

26.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 ₾21.12

$15.44 ₽1,160

-49.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ₾16.82

$6.32 ₽474

-1.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 ₾26.28

$12.51 ₽940

-21.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₾3.26

$2.72 ₽205

-55.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₾4.28

$2.60 ₽195

-38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.81

$2.56 ₽193

-30.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₾6.25

$1.86 ₽139

24.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.91

$0.69 ₽51.6

2.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.81

$0.52 ₽39.00

28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$3.88 ₽291

-69.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.92

$0.70 ₽52.9

1.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.85

$2.86 ₽215

2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₾19.50

$6.57 ₽494

10.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₾4.17

$0.77 ₽58.1

101.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.21

$1.16 ₽87.5

99.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.03

$0.53 ₽39.49

-28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 ₾39.83

$25.49 ₽1,914

-41.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ₾3.98

$2.28 ₽171

-35.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.86

$0.56 ₽41.77

23.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾20.05

$6.88 ₽516

8.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₾3.10

$0.79 ₽59.7

45.57%

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

$18.0K ₾48.4K

$32.1K ₽2.4M

-43.99%

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

$19.8K ₾53.4K

$18.9K ₽1.4M

5.16%

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

$73.4 ₾198

$121 ₽9,089

-39.31%

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

$11.64 ₾31.32

$6.63 ₽498

75.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.77 ₾47.79

$10.20 ₽766

74.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ₾163

$32.23 ₽2,421

87.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ₾44.21

$14.35 ₽1,078

14.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.52

$6.44 ₽484

1.09%

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

$263 ₾707

$262 ₽19.7K

0.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,136 ₾13.8K

$7,092 ₽532.7K

-27.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾209

$63.0 ₽4,732

23.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 ₾119

$50.4 ₽3,785

-11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾317

$77.4 ₽5,809

52.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾307

$89.9 ₽6,754

26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,865

$628 ₽47.1K

10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,244

$451 ₽33.9K

2.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ₾3,597

$1,137 ₽85.4K

17.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₾2,096

$821 ₽61.7K

-5.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₾6,805

$2,268 ₽170.3K

11.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ₾3,847

$1,643 ₽123.4K

-12.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 ₾1,702

$661 ₽49.7K

-4.34%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chita: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $628 in Chita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chita pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $19.00 in Chita. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $245, 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,185 vs $1,163 including rent). Chita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Chita earns 5% 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: $693 in Tbilisi versus $628 in Chita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 19% 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 $43.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,163 in Chita versus $1,185 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 2% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.