Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Makhachkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
Learn more

Makhachkala Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Makhachkala

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,009 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Makhachkala $1,009

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,562 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Makhachkala $1,562

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,115 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Makhachkala $2,115

Tbilisi costs about 25% more than Makhachkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Makhachkala are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Makhachkala 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$10.20 ₽851

11.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$31.73 ₽2,648

23.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$5.48 ₽457

75.73%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$2.65 ₽221

30.57%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$1.17 ₽98.0

-6.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$0.61 ₽51.1

3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$1.94 ₽162

42.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$2.94 ₽246

5.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.10 ₽91.6

104.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$0.71 ₽58.9

12.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.41 ₽118

24.82%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$1.53 ₽127

79.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$10.99 ₽917

-14.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$5.39 ₽450

23.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$11.03 ₽921

17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.70 ₽142

-1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.75 ₽146

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$1.75 ₽146

9.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$2.78 ₽232

-13.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$0.81 ₽67.4

6.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$0.61 ₽51.1

13.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.23 ₽103

13.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.74 ₽61.8

-4.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$3.33 ₽278

5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$7.92 ₽661

-3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.10 ₽91.4

48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$2.02 ₽168

14.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.54 ₽44.80

-31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.70 ₽225

-57.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.40 ₽33.48

97.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$5.71 ₽477

107.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.84 ₽70.2

66.67%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-39.49%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$37.4K ₽3.1M

-41.49%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$110 ₽9,172

-18.90%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$5.49 ₽458

140.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$8.44 ₽705

134.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$35.62 ₽2,973

82.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$23.57 ₽1,967

-19.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$6.13 ₽512

7.18%

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

$377 ₾975

$348 ₽29.1K

8.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$5,288 ₽441.3K

104.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$80.1 ₽6,688

27.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$54.1 ₽4,518

-26.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$102 ₽8,539

15.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$112 ₽9,353

10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$460 ₽38.4K

44.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$315 ₽26.3K

42.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$891 ₽74.4K

44.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$556 ₽46.4K

60.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$2,226 ₽185.8K

8.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$1,492 ₽124.5K

-7.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$622 ₽51.9K

9.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

21.45

-41.17%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Makhachkala

$315 31.2% 29.9% $134

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Makhachkala

$206 20.4% 12.1% $28

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Makhachkala

$153 15.1% 18.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Makhachkala

$157 15.6% 9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Makhachkala

$124 12.3% 1.4% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Makhachkala

$48 4.8% 38.7% $30

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7% 69.2% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $460 in Makhachkala. 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 9% 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 $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $32.00 in Makhachkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $206 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

12:17 12:17 PM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

604,266

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Makhachkala 260 km

From you

Tbilisi
Makhachkala

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,513 in Makhachkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Tbilisi and $1,009 in Makhachkala. That's a gap of about 25%.

Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $348 in Makhachkala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Tbilisi at $1,266. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Makhachkala. 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.