Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Rostov-on-Don

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,146 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Tbilisi despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
Learn more

Rostov-on-Don Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don.

Tbilisi $1,270
Rostov-on-Don $1,146

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $1,600 in Rostov-on-Don.

Tbilisi $2,008
Rostov-on-Don $1,600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $2,055 in Rostov-on-Don.

Tbilisi $2,745
Rostov-on-Don $2,055

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 11% more expensive than in Rostov-on-Don, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Rostov-on-Don 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$10.73 ₽895

7.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$24.52 ₽2,046

56.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$5.97 ₽498

64.15%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$2.96 ₽247

19.93%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$1.12 ₽93.5

-5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.51 ₽42.78

21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$1.23 ₽102

124.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$3.11 ₽259

-3.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.14 ₽94.9

89.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$0.74 ₽62.1

2.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.22 ₽102

42.62%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$1.44 ₽120

93.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$9.29 ₽775

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$5.36 ₽448

21.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$7.96 ₽664

60.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.44 ₽120

15.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.86 ₽155

-0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$1.43 ₽120

38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$2.31 ₽192

8.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$0.68 ₽56.6

27.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$0.63 ₽52.6

15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$1.00 ₽83.5

42.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.65 ₽54.4

10.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$2.75 ₽230

22.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$6.09 ₽508

28.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$0.97 ₽80.6

67.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$2.10 ₽175

13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.51 ₽42.79

-27.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$14.40 ₽1,202

7.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$3.58 ₽299

-68.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.14 ₽12.09

464.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$4.05 ₽338

185.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$0.81 ₽67.4

85.19%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$52.1K ₽4.3M

-52.74%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$40.8K ₽3.4M

-45.25%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$124 ₽10.3K

-28.54%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$7.47 ₽623

75.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$8.95 ₽747

118.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$34.64 ₽2,891

85.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

$21.30 ₽1,778

-9.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$5.50 ₽459

27.09%

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

$373 ₾966

$365 ₽30.4K

2.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$55.9 ₽4,661

83.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$45.05 ₽3,760

-10.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$108 ₽9,013

7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$106 ₽8,832

15.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$642 ₽53.6K

5.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$460 ₽38.4K

-1.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$896 ₽74.8K

42.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$572 ₽47.7K

55.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$2,355 ₽196.5K

2.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$1,508 ₽125.8K

-5.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$825 ₽68.8K

-14.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

19.83

-36.36%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.1% 1.2% $5.7

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$180 15.7% 22.7% $53

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Rostov-on-Don

$158 13.8% 17% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Rostov-on-Don

$142 12.4% 17.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.2% 15.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Rostov-on-Don

$46 4% 41.6% $33

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8% 6.1% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Tbilisi and $642 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rostov-on-Don pays 17% 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 $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $180 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,114,806

💱 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 Rostov-on-Don 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rostov-on-Don the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Rostov-on-Don. 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 $642 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rostov-on-Don runs roughly 8% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $373 in Tbilisi versus $365 in Rostov-on-Don. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,146 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rostov-on-Don but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Rostov-on-Don the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rostov-on-Don delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,146 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rostov-on-Don hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Rostov-on-Don 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 Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.