Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Richards Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Richards Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,286 in Tbilisi versus $1,050 in Richards Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Tbilisi versus $1,648 in Richards Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,802 in Tbilisi versus $2,246 in Richards Bay.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 22% more expensive than in Richards Bay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 ₾30.58

$7.92 R 127

47.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.88 ₾98.9

$39.77 R 636

-4.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.43

$5.70 R 91.2

70.88%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ₾8.91

$2.19 R 35.01

55.71%

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

$1.06 ₾2.77

$1.18 R 18.79

-10.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₾1.69

$0.93 R 14.85

-30.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 ₾7.06

$1.51 R 24.13

78.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.09

$1.91 R 30.61

62.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₾5.74

$1.21 R 19.39

81.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 ₾2.10

$1.04 R 16.59

-22.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.27

$1.56 R 24.95

5.13%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.19

$2.53 R 40.49

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 ₾23.52

$6.57 R 105

37.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 ₾17.10

$4.68 R 74.9

39.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.62 ₾32.94

$6.95 R 111

81.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.36

$1.97 R 31.53

-15.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₾4.73

$1.69 R 26.96

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₾5.04

$2.01 R 32.19

-3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 ₾6.76

$1.72 R 27.57

50.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$0.94 R 15.04

-7.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.69

$1.20 R 19.26

-45.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ₾3.63

$1.22 R 19.53

13.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₾2.08

$1.19 R 19.10

-32.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₾8.78

$2.42 R 38.70

38.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₾19.68

$4.91 R 78.6

53.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₾4.21

$1.50 R 23.94

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.86

$2.00 R 32.06

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.11 ₾39.45

$105 R 1,685

-85.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$0.44 R 7.07

165.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 ₾2.09

$0.74 R 11.82

8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.33 ₾29.58

$7.71 R 123

46.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₾3.47

$1.41 R 22.50

-5.67%

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

$25.0K ₾65.2K

$21.9K R 350.9K

13.90%

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

$22.4K ₾58.4K

$29.9K R 477.6K

-25.05%

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

$89.1 ₾233

$135 R 2,165

-34.18%

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

$13.25 ₾34.58

$30.74 R 492

-56.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.46 ₾50.8

$39.23 R 627

-50.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 ₾179

$37.31 R 597

83.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 ₾48.77

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ₾17.32

$6.64 R 106

-0.15%

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

$363 ₾949

$112 R 1,795

223.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.8K

$2,727 R 43.6K

290.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾270

$53.1 R 848

95.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 ₾101

$18.92 R 303

105.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾304

$79.0 R 1,263

47.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$89.1 R 1,425

37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 ₾1,782

$368 R 5,890

85.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₾1,166

$266 R 4,256

67.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,353

$688 R 11.0K

86.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$920 ₾2,401

$581 R 9,288

58.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,487 ₾6,492

$360 R 5,761

590.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 ₾3,715

$518 R 8,281

174.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 ₾1,686

$1,225 R 19.6K

-47.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.73

7.5

69.73%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: August 31, 2026

Last update for Richards Bay: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $682 in Tbilisi and $368 in Richards Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richards Bay pays 90% 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 $232 vs $185, with Richards Bay cheaper for home cooking.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 90% 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: $682 in Tbilisi versus $368 in Richards Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% 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 $1,050 in Richards Bay versus $1,286 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 22% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.