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: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $1,016 in Richards Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $1,548 in Richards Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $2,079 in Richards Bay.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 18% more expensive than in Richards Bay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Richards Bay 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$7.45 R 123

45.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$27.57 R 455

59.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$5.08 R 83.8

63.58%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$1.92 R 31.69

54.69%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.89 R 14.68

-13.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$0.72 R 11.84

-36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$1.44 R 23.77

48.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$1.69 R 27.92

69.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$0.98 R 16.24

93.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$0.96 R 15.90

-26.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$1.41 R 23.27

35.46%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$2.18 R 35.91

13.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$7.52 R 124

2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$4.52 R 74.6

36.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$5.57 R 91.9

71.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$1.51 R 24.96

-22.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.37 R 22.67

20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$1.37 R 22.68

35.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$1.35 R 22.35

72.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.14 R 18.76

-37.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$1.08 R 17.78

-37.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$0.99 R 16.33

20.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.95 R 15.73

-30.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$2.46 R 40.53

18.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$4.75 R 78.3

61.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$1.39 R 22.99

14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$1.69 R 27.88

36.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$1.61 R 26.60

-76.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

$93.5 R 1,544

-84.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$1.67 R 27.51

-10.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.62 R 10.28

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$6.82 R 113

6.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$1.32 R 21.86

-17.42%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$19.8K R 326.5K

-5.96%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$24.5K R 404.8K

-16.55%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$130 R 2,140

-43.69%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$29.75 R 491

-59.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$33.74 R 557

-46.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$32.17 R 531

89.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

$4.40 R 72.6

275.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$6.88 R 114

-2.62%

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

$269 ₾705

$92.3 R 1,523

191.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$2,445 R 40.4K

110.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$42.62 R 703

79.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$19.22 R 317

125.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$86.6 R 1,430

39.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$73.6 R 1,214

50.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$395 R 6,516

74.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$296 R 4,882

59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$851 R 14.0K

59.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$601 R 9,919

31.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

$349 R 5,761

606.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

$524 R 8,652

177.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$1,200 R 19.8K

-45.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

12.01

-1.00%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Richards Bay: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $395 in Richards Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richards Bay pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $28.00 in Richards Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $165 per month, with Richards Bay 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 Richards Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Richards Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 82% 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: $687 in Tbilisi versus $395 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 $28.00 versus $44.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,016 in Richards Bay versus $1,197 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 18% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.