Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Podolsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Podolsk: $975 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,270
/mo nomad
Podolsk
🇷🇺 Russia
$975
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Podolsk

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

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Tbilisi vs $975 in Podolsk, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,270
  • Podolsk $975

A couple spends around $2,008 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,519 in Podolsk, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,008
  • Podolsk $1,519

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,063 in Podolsk, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,745
  • Podolsk $2,063

Tbilisi costs about 30% more than Podolsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Podolsk are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Podolsk 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Podolsk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.51 ₾29.79
$6.18 ₽516
86.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.27 ₾99.1
$30.74 ₽2,565
24.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.80 ₾25.36
$7.67 ₽640
27.77%
Cappuccino
$3.55 ₾9.19
$2.84 ₽237
25.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 ₾2.74
$1.00 ₽83.6
6.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 ₾1.60
$0.59 ₽48.99
5.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.76 ₾7.16
$0.93 ₽77.7
196.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 ₾7.77
$1.46 ₽122
105.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Podolsk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 ₾5.59
$0.98 ₽81.4
120.41%
White Bread (500g)
$0.76 ₾1.96
$0.87 ₽72.6
-12.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.23 ₽103
41.46%
Eggs
$2.79 ₾7.21
$1.64 ₽137
70.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 ₾23.83
$9.04 ₽755
1.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.53 ₾16.89
$4.98 ₽416
31.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.81 ₾33.17
$12.27 ₽1,024
4.40%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$1.65 ₽137
1.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.48 ₽123
25.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 ₾5.13
$1.55 ₽130
27.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.51 ₾6.49
$2.63 ₽219
-4.56%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 ₾2.26
$0.68 ₽57.0
27.94%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 ₾1.89
$0.37 ₽31.23
97.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 ₾3.67
$1.41 ₽118
0.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₾1.88
$0.40 ₽33.72
80.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.38 ₾8.74
$2.23 ₽186
51.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.84 ₾20.31
$7.45 ₽621
5.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ₾4.19
$0.72 ₽60.3
125.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 ₾6.15
$1.07 ₽89.1
122.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Podolsk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$0.60 ₽50.1
-38.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.52 ₾40.16
$36.76 ₽3,068
-57.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.94
$2.47 ₽206
-53.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
$0.20 ₽16.63
295.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.57 ₾29.96
$3.53 ₽295
227.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 ₾3.87
$0.85 ₽71.0
76.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.7K
$35.7K ₽3.0M
-31.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K ₾57.9K
$24.1K ₽2.0M
-7.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Podolsk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.3 ₾228
$104 ₽8,694
-15.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.08 ₾33.86
$3.62 ₽302
261.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.53 ₾50.6
$4.71 ₽393
314.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Podolsk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.2 ₾166
$36.65 ₽3,059
75.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.18 ₾49.66
$23.98 ₽2,001
-20.02%
Cinema Ticket
$6.99 ₾18.10
$7.15 ₽597
-2.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Podolsk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$373 ₾966
$610 ₽50.9K
-38.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K ₾27.7K
$3,684 ₽307.4K
190.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Podolsk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 ₾266
$42.63 ₽3,558
140.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 ₾105
$53.5 ₽4,468
-24.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 ₾301
$107 ₽8,968
8.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾316
$111 ₽9,224
10.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Podolsk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$677 ₾1,753
$470 ₽39.3K
43.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$454 ₾1,176
$318 ₽26.5K
42.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,277 ₾3,305
$893 ₽74.5K
42.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,304
$584 ₽48.7K
52.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 ₾6,238
$2,258 ₽188.4K
6.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,418 ₾3,670
$1,519 ₽126.8K
-6.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Podolsk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$703 ₾1,819
$1,217 ₽101.6K
-42.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
20.75
-39.18%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Podolsk: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$454
Podolsk
$318 30% $136
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$233
Podolsk
$189 18.8% $44
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Podolsk
$121 36.8% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Podolsk
$141 17.6% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$121
Podolsk
$112 6.9% $8.4
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Podolsk
$51 34.8% $27
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Podolsk
$43 92.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $677 in Tbilisi versus $470 in Podolsk. 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 73% higher in Podolsk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $31.00 in Podolsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $233 vs $189 – making Podolsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇷🇺 Podolsk
🕒 Local time
15:37 3:37 PM
14:37 2:37 PM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
223,896
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Podolsk 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Podolsk

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 Podolsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Podolsk cheaper than Tbilisi?
Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Tbilisi and $1,463 in Podolsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Podolsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Tbilisi and in Podolsk?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,270 in Tbilisi and $975 in Podolsk. That's a gap of about 30%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 137% less in Podolsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Tbilisi or in Podolsk?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Podolsk, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Podolsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tbilisi or Podolsk more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Podolsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Tbilisi or Podolsk?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Podolsk. 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.

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