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: $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $1,023 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Tbilisi versus $1,714 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,526 in Tbilisi versus $2,405 in Irkutsk.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 18% more expensive than Irkutsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Irkutsk 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 ₾28.71

$8.30 ₽606

30.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.18 ₾115

$35.10 ₽2,562

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 ₾22.04

$5.60 ₽409

48.04%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ₾7.97

$3.06 ₽223

-1.96%

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

$0.82 ₾2.17

$1.49 ₽109

-44.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.21

$0.42 ₽30.99

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 ₾5.93

$1.55 ₽113

43.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₾7.75

$2.58 ₽189

13.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.12

$1.39 ₽101

38.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.81

$0.58 ₽42.11

17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ₾5.00

$1.73 ₽126

8.67%

Eggs

$2.54 ₾6.74

$2.21 ₽161

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 ₾19.70

$14.94 ₽1,091

-50.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ₾16.44

$6.36 ₽465

-2.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₾24.87

$12.60 ₽920

-25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.25

$2.23 ₽163

-45.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₾4.40

$2.50 ₽183

-33.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.78

$3.03 ₽221

-40.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾5.96

$4.70 ₽343

-52.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.89

$1.08 ₽78.6

-34.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.79

$0.92 ₽67.0

-27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.13

$2.16 ₽158

-45.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.76

$0.72 ₽52.3

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₾7.91

$3.75 ₽274

-20.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾20.22

$9.65 ₽704

-21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.08

$1.19 ₽87.1

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.99

$2.38 ₽173

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.49 ₽36.02

-26.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 ₾38.38

$9.99 ₽729

44.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ₾3.97

$1.85 ₽135

-19.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.82

$0.33 ₽24.07

106.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 ₾19.20

$4.68 ₽342

54.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.04

$0.82 ₽60.1

39.02%

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

$18.5K ₾49.1K

$29.6K ₽2.2M

-37.55%

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

$20.0K ₾53.1K

$25.6K ₽1.9M

-22.00%

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

$73.7 ₾196

$95.9 ₽7,002

-23.20%

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

$11.64 ₾30.92

$6.83 ₽499

70.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 ₾47.41

$9.34 ₽682

91.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 ₾160

$38.98 ₽2,845

54.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ₾44.65

$14.31 ₽1,045

17.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ₾17.55

$4.97 ₽363

32.80%

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

$266 ₾708

$282 ₽20.6K

-5.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,191 ₾13.8K

$6,973 ₽509.0K

-25.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾206

$36.85 ₽2,689

110.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 ₾119

$38.60 ₽2,817

15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾310

$102 ₽7,421

14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾300

$105 ₽7,685

7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,840

$551 ₽40.2K

25.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,227

$331 ₽24.2K

39.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 ₾3,507

$1,165 ₽85.0K

13.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₾2,057

$751 ₽54.8K

3.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 ₾6,458

$3,153 ₽230.1K

-22.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 ₾3,842

$1,938 ₽141.4K

-25.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 ₾1,788

$816 ₽59.5K

-17.52%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $551 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irkutsk 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: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $35.00 in Irkutsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $264, 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 18% 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, Irkutsk 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: $693 in Tbilisi versus $551 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Tbilisi versus $282 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,023 in Irkutsk versus $1,209 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 $1,023 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 18% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.