Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Samara

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $765 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,270
/mo nomad
Samara
🇷🇺 Russia
$765
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Samara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $765 in Samara.

  • Tbilisi $1,270
  • Samara $765

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $1,253 in Samara.

  • Tbilisi $2,008
  • Samara $1,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $1,741 in Samara.

  • Tbilisi $2,745
  • Samara $1,741

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 66% more expensive than in Samara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Samara 44% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Samara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.51 ₾29.79
$8.57 ₽716
34.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.27 ₾99.1
$43.02 ₽3,591
-11.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.80 ₾25.36
$5.21 ₽435
88.10%
Cappuccino
$3.55 ₾9.19
$2.30 ₽192
54.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 ₾2.74
$1.14 ₽94.9
-7.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 ₾1.60
$0.52 ₽43.42
19.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.76 ₾7.16
$1.77 ₽148
55.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 ₾7.77
$2.97 ₽248
1.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Samara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 ₾5.59
$1.24 ₽104
74.19%
White Bread (500g)
$0.76 ₾1.96
$1.05 ₽87.7
-27.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.62 ₽135
7.41%
Eggs
$2.79 ₾7.21
$1.53 ₽128
82.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 ₾23.83
$12.14 ₽1,013
-24.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.53 ₾16.89
$7.07 ₽590
-7.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.81 ₾33.17
$7.47 ₽624
71.49%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$3.04 ₽254
-45.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.76 ₽147
5.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 ₾5.13
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.51 ₾6.49
$4.04 ₽337
-37.87%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 ₾2.26
$0.83 ₽68.9
4.82%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 ₾1.89
$0.38 ₽31.46
92.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 ₾3.67
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₾1.88
$0.56 ₽46.44
28.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.38 ₾8.74
$2.51 ₽210
34.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.84 ₾20.31
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ₾4.19
$1.07 ₽89.5
51.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 ₾6.15
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Samara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$0.46 ₽38.41
-19.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.52 ₾40.16
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.94
$3.70 ₽309
-69.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.57 ₾29.96
$3.69 ₽308
213.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 ₾3.87
$0.87 ₽72.9
72.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.7K
$51.7K ₽4.3M
-52.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K ₾57.9K
$41.2K ₽3.4M
-45.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Samara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.3 ₾228
$140 ₽11.7K
-37.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.08 ₾33.86
$4.73 ₽395
176.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.53 ₾50.6
$13.93 ₽1,163
40.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Samara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.2 ₾166
$42.07 ₽3,511
52.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.18 ₾49.66
$21.95 ₽1,832
-12.62%
Cinema Ticket
$6.99 ₾18.10
$11.95 ₽997
-41.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Samara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$373 ₾966
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K ₾27.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Samara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 ₾266
$146 ₽12.1K
-29.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 ₾105
$78.9 ₽6,587
-48.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 ₾301
$158 ₽13.2K
-26.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾316
$86.0 ₽7,176
41.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Samara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$677 ₾1,753
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$454 ₾1,176
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,277 ₾3,305
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,304
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 ₾6,238
$2,443 ₽203.9K
-1.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,418 ₾3,670
$1,601 ₽133.6K
-11.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Samara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$703 ₾1,819
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
25.03
-49.58%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Samara: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$454
Samara
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$233
Samara
$191 * 18% $42
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Samara
$133 30.1% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Samara
$211 22.7% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$121
Samara
$159 31.5% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Samara
$66 15.6% $12
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Samara
$5.5 * 74.9% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $43.00 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $191, with Samara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇷🇺 Samara
🕒 Local time
20:57 8:57 PM
20:57 8:57 PM
Same time as Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
1,163,645
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Samara 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Samara

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 Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tbilisi and in Samara?
Tbilisi and Samara differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $765 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Tbilisi compared to Samara?
You'd need roughly $1,906 in Tbilisi and $1,148 in Samara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Samara – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tbilisi or Samara?
All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Tbilisi versus $765 in Samara – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $765 in Samara versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Samara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tbilisi and Samara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Tbilisi or Samara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Samara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Tbilisi or Samara?
Expats usually find Samara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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