Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Richards Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Richards Bay: $1,027 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Richards Bay
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Richards Bay Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Richards Bay

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,027

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Richards Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $1,027 in Richards Bay.

Tbilisi $1,270
Richards Bay $1,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $1,610 in Richards Bay.

Tbilisi $2,008
Richards Bay $1,610

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $2,193 in Richards Bay.

Tbilisi $2,745
Richards Bay $2,193

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 24% more expensive than in Richards Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Richards Bay 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$7.76 R 128

48.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$39.61 R 653

-3.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$5.38 R 88.6

82.16%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$2.11 R 34.82

68.25%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$1.13 R 18.67

-6.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.90 R 14.86

-31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$1.48 R 24.31

86.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$1.87 R 30.79

60.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.13 R 18.59

91.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$0.95 R 15.73

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.51 R 24.84

15.23%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$2.35 R 38.70

18.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$6.64 R 109

38.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$4.51 R 74.3

44.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$6.92 R 114

85.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.98 R 32.59

-15.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.61 R 26.48

14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$1.97 R 32.49

0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$1.74 R 28.73

44.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$0.87 R 14.27

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$1.19 R 19.67

-38.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$1.18 R 19.44

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$1.15 R 18.93

-37.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$2.38 R 39.14

42.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$4.97 R 81.9

57.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$1.41 R 23.29

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$1.85 R 30.44

28.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$104 R 1,711

-85.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$0.41 R 6.83

178.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.71 R 11.65

11.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$7.51 R 124

54.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$1.37 R 22.64

9.49%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$21.5K R 354.1K

14.57%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$29.9K R 492.0K

-25.10%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$130 R 2,149

-32.33%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$30.05 R 495

-56.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$40.32 R 664

-51.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$35.79 R 590

79.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$7.15 R 118

-2.24%

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

$373 ₾966

$107 R 1,755

250.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$2,674 R 44.1K

299.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$51.6 R 851

98.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$18.59 R 306

117.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$76.7 R 1,263

51.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$86.3 R 1,422

41.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$371 R 6,107

82.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$261 R 4,293

74.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$695 R 11.4K

83.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$552 R 9,093

61.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$352 R 5,792

585.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$516 R 8,500

174.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$1,239 R 20.4K

-43.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

7.5

68.27%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Richards Bay: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Richards Bay

$261 25.4% 42.6% $194

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Richards Bay

$180 17.5% 22.8% $53

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Richards Bay

$123 12% 35.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Richards Bay

$105 10.2% 38.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Richards Bay

$201 19.6% 66.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Richards Bay

$50 4.9% 35.9% $28

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Richards Bay

$108 * 10.5% 388% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Tbilisi and $371 in Richards Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richards Bay pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $40.00 in Richards Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $180, with Richards Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇦 Richards Bay

🕒 Local time

16:31 4:31 PM

14:31 2:31 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

57,387

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Richards Bay 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Richards Bay

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 Richards Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Richards Bay is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Richards Bay. 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: $677 in Tbilisi versus $371 in Richards Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Richards Bay – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,027 in Richards Bay versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Richards Bay but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Richards Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Richards Bay 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 Richards Bay 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 Richards Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.