Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Samara Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Samara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $994 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $1,708 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $2,422 in Samara.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 20% more expensive than in Samara, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Samara 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$12.58 ₽988

-13.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$51.0 ₽4,008

-14.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$5.64 ₽443

47.34%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$2.41 ₽189

23.24%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$1.17 ₽92.1

-34.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$0.69 ₽54.6

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$1.13 ₽88.5

89.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$2.58 ₽203

11.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.12 ₽87.7

69.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$0.59 ₽46.56

20.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$1.24 ₽97.3

54.03%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$1.72 ₽135

44.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$9.34 ₽734

-17.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$5.18 ₽407

19.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$8.30 ₽652

15.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$1.55 ₽122

-24.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.82 ₽143

-9.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$2.28 ₽179

-18.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$2.36 ₽185

-1.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.62 ₽48.88

14.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$0.47 ₽36.96

42.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$1.82 ₽143

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.56 ₽44.16

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$3.10 ₽243

-5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$4.51 ₽354

70.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$0.94 ₽73.9

69.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$2.25 ₽176

2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$0.46 ₽36.52

-17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

$40.89 ₽3,213

-63.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$3.39 ₽267

-55.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.42 ₽32.97

61.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$3.87 ₽304

87.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$0.75 ₽59.0

45.33%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$47.8K ₽3.8M

-61.07%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$43.0K ₽3.4M

-52.40%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$121 ₽9,497

-39.61%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$6.43 ₽505

86.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$8.24 ₽647

118.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$35.32 ₽2,775

72.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

$13.69 ₽1,076

20.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$4.20 ₽330

59.52%

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

$269 ₾705

$323 ₽25.4K

-16.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$5,976 ₽469.5K

-13.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$99.7 ₽7,831

-23.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$46.73 ₽3,671

-7.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$126 ₽9,912

-4.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$75.3 ₽5,917

46.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$458 ₽36.0K

50.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$276 ₽21.7K

70.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$1,252 ₽98.4K

8.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$710 ₽55.8K

11.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$990 ₽77.8K

-33.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

15.33

-22.44%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Samara: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $458 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samara pays 50% 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 $51.0 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $182, with Samara 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 Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Samara differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,197 vs $994 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Samara. 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 $458 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $323 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $994 in Samara versus $1,197 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Samara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.