Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kirkuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkuk: $540 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Kirkuk
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Kirkuk Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Kirkuk

🇮🇶 Iraq

$540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kirkuk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $540 in Kirkuk.

Tbilisi $1,266
Kirkuk $540

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $868 in Kirkuk.

Tbilisi $2,007
Kirkuk $868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $1,197 in Kirkuk.

Tbilisi $2,749
Kirkuk $1,197

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 134% more expensive than in Kirkuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Kirkuk 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$3.58 IQD 5,403

216.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$23.24 IQD 35.1K

68.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$5.40 IQD 8,162

78.33%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$2.46 IQD 3,716

40.65%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$0.36 IQD 537

202.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.16 IQD 238

293.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$2.62 IQD 3,963

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$3.37 IQD 5,087

-8.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$0.95 IQD 1,433

136.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$0.60 IQD 911

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.31 IQD 1,984

34.35%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$1.27 IQD 1,915

116.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$3.42 IQD 5,160

174.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$3.13 IQD 4,735

112.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$11.18 IQD 16.9K

15.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$0.79 IQD 1,198

111.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$0.83 IQD 1,254

116.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$0.80 IQD 1,209

140.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$0.60 IQD 906

301.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$0.48 IQD 730

79.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$0.48 IQD 730

43.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.57 IQD 854

145.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.32 IQD 477

121.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$1.61 IQD 2,430

118.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$11.55 IQD 17.4K

-34.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.29 IQD 1,950

26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.61 IQD 2,434

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.32 IQD 482

15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

-22.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.01 IQD 3,034

-43.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.34 IQD 2,028

-41.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$6.42 IQD 9,693

84.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.47 IQD 712

197.87%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

48.05%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

32.94%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$51.6 IQD 78.0K

72.65%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$17.64 IQD 26.6K

-25.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$36.97 IQD 55.9K

-46.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$9.82 IQD 14.8K

561.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$9.80 IQD 14.8K

-32.96%

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

$377 ₾975

$143 IQD 215.9K

163.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$2,984 IQD 4.5M

261.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$25.27 IQD 38.2K

304.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

143.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

102.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$29.54 IQD 44.6K

317.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$162 IQD 245.2K

310.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$78.1 IQD 118.1K

474.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$198 IQD 299.8K

547.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$201 IQD 304.3K

341.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$490 IQD 740.7K

394.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$259 IQD 391.8K

432.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$379 IQD 572.3K

79.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.12

206.31%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Kirkuk

$78 14.5% 82.6% $371

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Kirkuk

$142 26.2% 39.4% $92

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Kirkuk

$96 17.8% 48.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Kirkuk

$58 10.8% 66.2% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Kirkuk

$106 19.7% 13% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Kirkuk

$29 5.4% 62.3% $49

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Kirkuk

$30 5.6% 36.2% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $162 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 79% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $23.00 in Kirkuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $142 per month, with Kirkuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇶 Kirkuk

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

850,787

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.343 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.343 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Kirkuk 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Kirkuk

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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $666 in Tbilisi versus $162 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $377 in Tbilisi versus $143 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $540 in Kirkuk versus $1,266 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kirkuk but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kirkuk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Kirkuk 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 Kirkuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.