Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Karakol

For one person, living is cheaper in Karakol: $440 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Karakol

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$440

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Karakol

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $440 in Karakol.

Tbilisi $1,269
Karakol $440

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $651 in Karakol.

Tbilisi $2,016
Karakol $651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $862 in Karakol.

Tbilisi $2,763
Karakol $862

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 188% more expensive than in Karakol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Karakol 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$2.35 KGS 205

394.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$9.30 KGS 813

306.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.77 KGS 155

101.69%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.59 KGS 51.8

83.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.30 KGS 26.52

86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$1.12 KGS 97.6

133.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$1.76 KGS 154

72.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$0.77 KGS 67.6

181.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.22 KGS 19.21

263.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.33 KGS 116

30.83%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.63 KGS 143

73.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$6.69 KGS 585

39.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$4.07 KGS 356

60.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$5.71 KGS 499

126.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$0.83 KGS 72.4

102.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.40 KGS 122

32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.12 KGS 98.4

116.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.54 KGS 47.55

51.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.35 KGS 30.67

282.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.56 KGS 48.74

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.73 KGS 151

106.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$5.18 KGS 453

48.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.12 KGS 98.2

51.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.27 KGS 199

5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.19 KGS 16.64

110.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.25 KGS 110

-8.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.09 KGS 95.8

33.03%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

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

$88.8 ₾230

$39.39 KGS 3,445

125.44%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$4.22 KGS 369

210.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$9.67 KGS 846

103.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$15.73 KGS 1,376

307.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

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

$375 ₾971

$91.8 KGS 8,029

308.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$34.78 KGS 3,042

250.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$226 KGS 19.7K

208.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$173 KGS 15.2K

160.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$291 KGS 25.5K

365.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$291 KGS 25.4K

211.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karakol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Karakol

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Karakol

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Karakol

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Karakol

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Karakol

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Karakol

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Karakol

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $226 in Karakol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $9 in Karakol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $128 per month, with Karakol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇬 Karakol

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

13:07 1:07 PM

2 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

63,400

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 87.46 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 97.66 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Karakol 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Karakol

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 Karakol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $440 in Karakol, so Karakol is about 65% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,904 in Tbilisi and $661 in Karakol to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $226 in Karakol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $440 in Karakol – Karakol is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $440 in Karakol versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Karakol but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Karakol 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 Karakol are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.