Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Karaganda

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $929 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities 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 Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Karaganda

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

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Tbilisi vs $929 in Karaganda, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,270
Karaganda $929

A couple spends around $2,008 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,498 in Karaganda, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,008
Karaganda $1,498

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,067 in Karaganda, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,745
Karaganda $2,067

Tbilisi costs about 37% more than Karaganda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Karaganda are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Karaganda 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$9.92 ₸4,483

16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$34.77 ₸15.7K

10.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$5.62 ₸2,540

74.38%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$1.90 ₸861

86.84%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$0.87 ₸392

21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.64 ₸290

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$1.37 ₸618

101.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$2.81 ₸1,271

6.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.33 ₸602

62.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$0.48 ₸219

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.34 ₸605

29.85%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$1.87 ₸845

49.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$13.37 ₸6,043

-31.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$5.55 ₸2,510

17.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$11.16 ₸5,043

14.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.51 ₸683

10.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.89 ₸857

-2.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$2.78 ₸1,255

-28.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$2.09 ₸944

20.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$0.63 ₸284

38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$0.54 ₸245

35.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$1.04 ₸469

36.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.70 ₸315

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$2.18 ₸985

55.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$8.40 ₸3,798

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$1.36 ₸616

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$2.11 ₸955

12.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.23 ₸104

60.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$15.45 ₸6,982

0.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$1.23 ₸558

-7.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.24 ₸562

-36.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$3.22 ₸1,457

259.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$0.52 ₸236

188.46%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$21.6K ₸9.8M

13.80%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$32.3K ₸14.6M

-30.68%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$72.6 ₸32.8K

21.61%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$9.86 ₸4,457

32.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$11.82 ₸5,342

65.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$45.55 ₸20.6K

40.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

$18.09 ₸8,179

6.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$5.29 ₸2,390

32.14%

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

$373 ₾966

$133 ₸59.9K

181.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$60.5 ₸27.4K

69.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$57.6 ₸26.0K

-29.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$79.0 ₸35.7K

47.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$85.7 ₸38.7K

42.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$400 ₸180.6K

69.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$274 ₸123.7K

65.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$730 ₸330.1K

74.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$543 ₸245.7K

63.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$1,053 ₸475.8K

128.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$695 ₸314.0K

104.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$566 ₸256.1K

24.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

19.25

-34.44%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Karaganda

$274 29.5% 39.7% $180

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Karaganda

$216 23.3% 7.2% $17

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Karaganda

$138 14.8% 27.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Karaganda

$127 13.7% 25.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Karaganda

$94 10.2% 22% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Karaganda

$56 6% 28.2% $22

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Karaganda

$24 2.6% 7.8% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $677 in Tbilisi versus $400 in Karaganda. 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 24% higher in Tbilisi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $35.00 in Karaganda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $233 vs $216 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

2 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

520,486

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Karaganda 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Karaganda

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 Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi, $929 in Karaganda – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Tbilisi and $1,393 in Karaganda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karaganda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 0% less in Karaganda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $373 per month in Tbilisi and $133 in Karaganda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $929, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $929 in Karaganda to $1,270 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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