Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Saint Petersburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,375 in Saint Petersburg, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Saint Petersburg
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,375
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Saint Petersburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,375 in Saint Petersburg.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Saint Petersburg $1,375

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $2,195 in Saint Petersburg.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Saint Petersburg $2,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $3,014 in Saint Petersburg.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Saint Petersburg $3,014

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 8% less than in Saint Petersburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Saint Petersburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$12.42 ₽1,000
-6.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$44.05 ₽3,547
-14.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$6.95 ₽560
38.99%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$3.26 ₽263
9.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$1.61 ₽129
-32.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$0.78 ₽62.6
-28.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$2.81 ₽226
-6.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$3.63 ₽292
-16.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Saint Petersburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.19 ₽95.9
82.35%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$0.95 ₽76.8
-15.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.70 ₽137
2.35%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$1.67 ₽134
69.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$12.39 ₽998
-24.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$6.64 ₽535
-1.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$12.85 ₽1,035
0.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.33
$1.75 ₽141
-4.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.64 ₽132
12.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$1.79 ₽145
10.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$3.36 ₽270
-27.98%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$0.83 ₽66.8
-1.20%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.63 ₽50.6
17.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$1.33 ₽107
0.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$0.78 ₽62.7
-1.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$3.16 ₽255
12.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$9.41 ₽758
-18.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$1.19 ₽95.5
42.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$1.97 ₽159
21.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Saint Petersburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
$1.10 ₽88.8
-63.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
$56.1 ₽4,518
-72.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$2.80 ₽226
-59.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$0.60 ₽48.55
30.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$9.01 ₽726
31.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$0.88 ₽71.2
64.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$43.0K ₽3.5M
-42.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$37.4K ₽3.0M
-40.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Saint Petersburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$156 ₽12.6K
-43.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$7.85 ₽632
67.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$8.71 ₽701
125.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Saint Petersburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$41.31 ₽3,327
55.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
$43.82 ₽3,529
-56.55%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$7.57 ₽609
-5.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Saint Petersburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$663 ₽53.4K
-43.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$17.9K ₽1.4M
-41.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Saint Petersburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$98.5 ₽7,935
5.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$54.2 ₽4,364
-27.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$140 ₽11.3K
-16.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$128 ₽10.3K
-4.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Saint Petersburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$772 ₽62.1K
-9.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$466 ₽37.6K
-3.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$1,619 ₽130.4K
-16.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$974 ₽78.4K
-6.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$4,632 ₽373.0K
-50.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$2,886 ₽232.4K
-53.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Saint Petersburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$1,230 ₽99.0K
-45.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
19.69
-35.91%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Saint Petersburg
$466 3.4% $15
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Saint Petersburg
$234 0.2% $0.4
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Saint Petersburg
$190 0.2% $0.4
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Saint Petersburg
$189 10.2% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Saint Petersburg
$173 42.1% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Saint Petersburg
$56 27.9% $22
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Saint Petersburg
$66 203% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $772 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Petersburg pays 85% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $44 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg
🕒 Local time
18:40 6:40 PM
17:40 5:40 PM
1 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
5,597,763
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Saint Petersburg 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Saint Petersburg

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 Saint Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tbilisi or Saint Petersburg?
Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Saint Petersburg. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Tbilisi or in Saint Petersburg?
On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Tbilisi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Tbilisi compared to Saint Petersburg?
Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $772 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Tbilisi and in Saint Petersburg?
Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $663 in Saint Petersburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Tbilisi and in Saint Petersburg?
Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $44 in Saint Petersburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Tbilisi or in Saint Petersburg?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Tbilisi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Tbilisi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saint Petersburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Should I move to Tbilisi or to Saint Petersburg?
It comes down to priorities – Tbilisi wins on affordability, Saint Petersburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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