Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kirkuk Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kirkuk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $591 in Kirkuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,834 in Tbilisi versus $947 in Kirkuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,483 in Tbilisi versus $1,303 in Kirkuk.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 101% more expensive than Kirkuk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 12% lower, Kirkuk 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 ₾30.00

$3.74 IQD 4,904

198.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₾116

$25.51 IQD 33.4K

69.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ₾22.11

$5.59 IQD 7,322

47.05%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ₾8.42

$2.26 IQD 2,967

38.50%

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

$0.74 ₾2.00

$0.36 IQD 478

105.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₾1.22

$0.21 IQD 269

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₾5.74

$3.38 IQD 4,431

-36.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₾8.06

$2.89 IQD 3,780

3.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₾5.09

$1.15 IQD 1,506

64.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₾1.97

$0.61 IQD 804

19.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.98

$1.58 IQD 2,066

17.09%

Eggs

$2.45 ₾6.58

$1.45 IQD 1,896

68.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 ₾21.12

$4.37 IQD 5,722

79.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 ₾16.82

$2.84 IQD 3,714

120.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 ₾26.28

$11.15 IQD 14.6K

-12.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₾3.26

$0.92 IQD 1,205

31.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₾4.28

$1.07 IQD 1,397

48.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₾4.81

$1.03 IQD 1,347

73.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₾6.25

$0.59 IQD 777

293.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.91

$0.50 IQD 653

42.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.81

$0.50 IQD 661

34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.16

$0.63 IQD 827

87.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.92

$0.33 IQD 434

115.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.85

$1.86 IQD 2,439

56.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₾19.50

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

-45.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₾4.17

$1.83 IQD 2,394

-15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.21

$2.11 IQD 2,763

9.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.03

$0.53 IQD 692

-28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 ₾39.83

$31.69 IQD 41.5K

-53.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ₾3.98

$2.92 IQD 3,822

-49.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.86

$1.15 IQD 1,509

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 ₾20.05

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

-3.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₾3.10

$0.54 IQD 707

112.96%

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

$18.0K ₾48.4K

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

-11.57%

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

$19.8K ₾53.4K

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

-1.62%

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

$73.4 ₾198

$53.3 IQD 69.8K

37.79%

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

$11.64 ₾31.32

$22.83 IQD 29.9K

-49.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.77 ₾47.79

$38.06 IQD 49.9K

-53.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ₾163

$14.76 IQD 19.3K

310.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ₾44.21

$16.50 IQD 21.6K

-0.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.52

$7.66 IQD 10.0K

-15.01%

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

$263 ₾707

$58.0 IQD 76.0K

352.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,136 ₾13.8K

$788 IQD 1.0M

552.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾209

$28.59 IQD 37.5K

171.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 ₾119

$30.57 IQD 40.0K

45.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾317

$23.18 IQD 30.4K

407.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₾307

$15.28 IQD 20.0K

646.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,865

$73.9 IQD 96.8K

838.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,244

$108 IQD 141.7K

327.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 ₾3,597

$116 IQD 152.2K

1050.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₾2,096

$249 IQD 325.6K

213.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₾6,805

$887 IQD 1.2M

185.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ₾3,847

$406 IQD 531.4K

252.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 ₾1,702

$636 IQD 833.0K

-0.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

5.67

109.70%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $73.9 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkuk pays 1% 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 $26.00 in Kirkuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $158 per month, with Kirkuk 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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kirkuk earns 1% 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 $73.9 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Tbilisi versus $58.0 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $591 in Kirkuk versus $1,185 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 101% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.