Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Elista

For one person, living is cheaper in Elista: $950 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Elista
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Elista Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Elista

🇷🇺 Russia

$950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Elista

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $950 in Elista, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,278
Elista $950

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,565 in Elista, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,017
Elista $1,565

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,180 in Elista, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,755
Elista $2,180

Tbilisi costs about 35% more than Elista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Elista are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Elista 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$6.67 ₽546

74.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$48.36 ₽3,958

-20.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$6.61 ₽541

47.35%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.84 ₽232

25.35%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$1.02 ₽83.5

5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.59 ₽48.40

-5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$1.18 ₽97.0

131.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$1.84 ₽151

70.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.06 ₽86.9

101.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.56 ₽45.83

33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$1.17 ₽95.7

53.85%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.48 ₽121

89.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$7.72 ₽631

22.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$4.81 ₽394

45.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.83

$11.89 ₽973

6.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$1.28 ₽105

27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.50 ₽123

22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$1.51 ₽123

30.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$2.61 ₽213

-5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.78 ₽64.2

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.47 ₽38.10

42.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$0.39 ₽31.72

261.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.67 ₽54.4

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$2.91 ₽238

20.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$9.41 ₽770

-16.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.09 ₽89.1

55.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$1.92 ₽157

23.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.53 ₽43.16

-28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.56

$26.79 ₽2,192

-42.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$2.45 ₽201

-51.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.37 ₽30.59

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$3.62 ₽296

228.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$0.87 ₽71.6

67.82%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$27.0K ₽2.2M

-7.51%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$32.0K ₽2.6M

-28.66%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$87.4 ₽7,154

0.81%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$6.56 ₽537

93.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$8.08 ₽661

144.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$36.35 ₽2,975

76.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.59

$24.57 ₽2,010

-21.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$4.24 ₽347

56.84%

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

$371 ₾961

$336 ₽27.5K

10.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$6,432 ₽526.4K

42.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$89.6 ₽7,333

14.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$54.9 ₽4,493

-27.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$56.0 ₽4,580

110.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$115 ₽9,393

4.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

$498 ₽40.8K

38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$320 ₽26.2K

44.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,523

$847 ₽69.3K

60.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$658 ₽53.9K

36.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,891

$2,314 ₽189.4K

-1.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,564

$1,320 ₽108.0K

4.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

$365 ₽29.9K

94.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

21.33

-41.26%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Elista: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Elista

$320 33.7% 30.6% $141

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Elista

$185 19.5% 21.3% $50

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Elista

$123 13% 35.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Elista

$142 14.9% 17% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Elista

$102 10.7% 15.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Elista

$45 4.7% 42.2% $33

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Elista

$33 3.5% 53.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Tbilisi versus $498 in Elista. 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 94% higher in Tbilisi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $48 in Elista. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Tbilisi vs $185 in Elista – so Elista wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇷🇺 Elista

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

103,219

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.343 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.343 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.13 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Elista 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Elista

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 Elista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $1,426 in Elista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elista, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $498 there versus $690 in Tbilisi.

Kindergarten costs $371 per month in Tbilisi and $336 in Elista. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Tbilisi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

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