Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Irkutsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Irkutsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $1,054 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $1,712 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $2,370 in Irkutsk.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 14% more expensive than in Irkutsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Irkutsk 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.39

$8.07 ₽630

34.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$35.12 ₽2,744

24.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.80

$5.61 ₽438

48.13%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$3.05 ₽239

-2.62%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$1.56 ₽122

-50.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$0.43 ₽33.52

6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$1.62 ₽127

32.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$2.49 ₽194

15.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.38 ₽108

37.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$0.56 ₽43.86

26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$1.76 ₽138

8.52%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$2.29 ₽179

8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$15.49 ₽1,210

-50.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.21

$6.51 ₽509

-5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.12

$12.63 ₽987

-24.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$2.34 ₽183

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$2.47 ₽193

-33.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$3.10 ₽242

-40.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$4.78 ₽374

-51.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.02 ₽79.7

-30.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$0.86 ₽67.3

-22.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$2.18 ₽171

-45.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.72 ₽56.4

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$3.82 ₽298

-23.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.18

$8.56 ₽669

-10.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$1.23 ₽96.0

29.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$2.28 ₽178

1.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$0.49 ₽38.47

-22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.72

$10.27 ₽802

43.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$1.89 ₽147

-20.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.33 ₽25.55

106.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.04

$4.59 ₽358

58.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$0.79 ₽61.7

37.97%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$29.6K ₽2.3M

-37.04%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$25.9K ₽2.0M

-20.85%

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

$73.0 ₾192

$93.7 ₽7,320

-22.09%

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

$11.97 ₾31.41

$6.76 ₽528

77.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.22

$9.29 ₽726

93.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$39.56 ₽3,091

54.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.34

$14.19 ₽1,108

16.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$5.00 ₽390

34.00%

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

$269 ₾705

$283 ₽22.1K

-5.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$6,881 ₽537.6K

-25.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$37.49 ₽2,929

104.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$38.59 ₽3,015

12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$99.8 ₽7,800

20.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$104 ₽8,146

6.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,803

$549 ₽42.9K

25.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$335 ₽26.2K

40.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,550

$1,176 ₽91.9K

15.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$759 ₽59.3K

3.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,473

$3,032 ₽236.9K

-18.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,818

$1,821 ₽142.3K

-20.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$789 ₽61.6K

-16.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

19.29

-38.36%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $549 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irkutsk pays 20% 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 $35.00 in Irkutsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $265, 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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Irkutsk. 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 $549 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $283 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,054 in Irkutsk versus $1,197 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irkutsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,054 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irkutsk hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Irkutsk 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 Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.