Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kaluga Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kaluga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $798 in Kaluga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Tbilisi versus $1,227 in Kaluga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,483 in Tbilisi versus $1,656 in Kaluga.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 48% more expensive than Kaluga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 12% lower, Kaluga 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 ₾30.00

$5.73 ₽430

94.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₾116

$22.48 ₽1,688

91.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ₾22.11

$5.06 ₽380

62.45%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ₾8.42

$2.01 ₽151

55.72%

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

$0.74 ₾2.00

$1.29 ₽97.2

-42.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₾1.22

$0.53 ₽39.72

-15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₾5.74

$1.41 ₽106

51.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₾8.06

$3.07 ₽230

-2.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₾5.09

$1.10 ₽82.4

71.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$0.69 ₽51.6

5.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.98

$1.48 ₽111

25.00%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.58

$1.72 ₽129

42.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 ₾21.12

$8.07 ₽606

-2.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ₾16.82

$3.79 ₽285

64.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 ₾26.28

$7.71 ₽579

26.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₾3.26

$1.85 ₽139

-34.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₾4.28

$1.69 ₽127

-5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.81

$1.91 ₽144

-6.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₾6.25

$3.16 ₽237

-26.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.91

$0.78 ₽58.9

-8.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.81

$0.67 ₽50.6

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$3.23 ₽242

-63.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.92

$0.65 ₽49.18

9.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.85

$3.01 ₽226

-2.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₾19.50

$7.92 ₽595

-8.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₾4.17

$0.78 ₽58.4

98.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.21

$1.94 ₽146

19.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.03

$0.45 ₽34.07

-15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 ₾39.83

$19.37 ₽1,455

-23.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ₾3.98

$3.77 ₽283

-60.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.86

$0.11 ₽7.96

527.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾20.05

$6.30 ₽473

18.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₾3.10

$0.77 ₽57.9

49.35%

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

$18.0K ₾48.4K

$34.7K ₽2.6M

-48.17%

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

$19.8K ₾53.4K

$35.7K ₽2.7M

-44.38%

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

$73.4 ₾198

$77.5 ₽5,824

-5.29%

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

$11.64 ₾31.32

$5.59 ₽420

108.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.77 ₾47.79

$5.13 ₽385

246.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ₾163

$36.07 ₽2,709

67.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ₾44.21

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.52

$7.82 ₽587

-16.75%

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

$263 ₾707

$361 ₽27.1K

-27.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,136 ₾13.8K

$7,015 ₽526.9K

-26.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾209

$71.9 ₽5,402

8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 ₾119

$38.58 ₽2,898

15.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾317

$114 ₽8,535

3.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾307

$77.1 ₽5,793

48.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,865

$249 ₽18.7K

177.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,244

$198 ₽14.9K

133.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ₾3,597

$445 ₽33.4K

200.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₾2,096

$343 ₽25.7K

127.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₾6,805

$1,645 ₽123.5K

53.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ₾3,847

$1,403 ₽105.3K

1.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 ₾1,702

$1,015 ₽76.3K

-37.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

14.5

-18.00%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Last update for Kaluga: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $249 in Kaluga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaluga pays 61% 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 $22.00 in Kaluga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $188 per month, with Kaluga 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 Kaluga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Kaluga differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,185 vs $798 including rent). Kaluga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaluga earns 61% 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 $249 in Kaluga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kaluga runs roughly 31% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $263 in Tbilisi versus $361 in Kaluga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $798 in Kaluga versus $1,185 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaluga but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Kaluga 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 Kaluga 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 Kaluga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.