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: $1,247 in Tbilisi versus $1,017 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,025 in Tbilisi versus $1,471 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,803 in Tbilisi versus $1,925 in Irkutsk.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 23% more expensive than in Irkutsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 9% lower, Irkutsk 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.33 ₾29.45

$6.01 ₽508

88.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.71 ₾101

$29.54 ₽2,496

31.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 ₾24.73

$5.97 ₽505

59.46%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ₾8.85

$2.95 ₽249

15.59%

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

$1.04 ₾2.71

$1.57 ₽132

-33.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₾1.66

$0.67 ₽56.5

-4.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 ₾6.79

$2.35 ₽199

11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₾8.43

$3.52 ₽297

-7.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.65

$1.25 ₽106

73.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.92

$0.63 ₽53.6

17.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 ₾4.45

$2.23 ₽188

-23.32%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.36

$1.61 ₽136

75.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 ₾23.95

$11.62 ₽982

-20.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ₾17.55

$6.13 ₽518

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 ₾33.17

$11.08 ₽936

15.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.26

$1.87 ₽158

-12.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₾4.60

$1.97 ₽166

-10.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ₾4.85

$1.77 ₽150

5.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 ₾6.34

$3.56 ₽301

-31.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.25

$0.72 ₽60.5

20.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.70

$0.64 ₽54.4

1.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.64

$1.75 ₽148

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₾1.93

$0.64 ₽54.4

15.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₾8.86

$2.75 ₽233

24.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 ₾19.75

$7.57 ₽639

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.02 ₽86.2

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.20

$1.95 ₽165

22.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.94

$0.61 ₽51.8

-40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.24 ₾39.60

$15.96 ₽1,348

-4.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₾3.07

$1.19 ₽101

-0.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₾1.97

$0.18 ₽15.06

322.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.34 ₾29.47

$8.60 ₽727

31.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₾3.46

$0.78 ₽66.2

70.51%

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

$24.7K ₾64.2K

$29.1K ₽2.5M

-15.03%

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

$22.0K ₾57.2K

$37.0K ₽3.1M

-40.43%

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

$88.9 ₾231

$118 ₽9,996

-24.89%

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

$13.33 ₾34.63

$5.63 ₽476

136.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ₾52.3

$11.61 ₽981

73.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.7 ₾178

$34.11 ₽2,882

101.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 ₾47.01

$21.25 ₽1,795

-14.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ₾17.46

$6.43 ₽543

4.51%

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

$374 ₾971

$296 ₽25.0K

26.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.8K

$3,158 ₽266.8K

238.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ₾263

$58.2 ₽4,916

73.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.33 ₾102

$23.50 ₽1,986

67.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$98.1 ₽8,288

19.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾318

$116 ₽9,783

5.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 ₾1,773

$432 ₽36.5K

57.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,186

$320 ₽27.1K

42.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 ₾3,385

$745 ₽62.9K

74.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 ₾2,337

$424 ₽35.8K

112.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,449 ₾6,365

$2,659 ₽224.6K

-7.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,452 ₾3,774

$1,779 ₽150.3K

-18.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 ₾1,695

$757 ₽64.0K

-13.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

24.57

-48.64%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: September 13, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $682 in Tbilisi and $432 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irkutsk pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $30.00 in Irkutsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $221 per month, with Irkutsk cheaper across the board.

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 23% 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 16% 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: $682 in Tbilisi versus $432 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Tbilisi versus $296 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Irkutsk versus $1,247 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 $1,017 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 23% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.