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: $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $997 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Tbilisi versus $1,718 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,526 in Tbilisi versus $2,440 in Samara.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 21% more expensive than Samara, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 ₾28.70

$12.92 ₽954

-16.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.18 ₾115

$50.5 ₽3,727

-14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 ₾22.03

$5.63 ₽415

47.25%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ₾7.96

$2.32 ₽171

29.31%

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

$0.82 ₾2.17

$1.17 ₽86.5

-29.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.21

$0.70 ₽51.3

-34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 ₾5.93

$1.12 ₽82.9

99.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₾7.75

$2.52 ₽186

15.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.11

$1.07 ₽79.2

80.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.81

$0.61 ₽44.69

11.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ₾4.99

$1.24 ₽91.8

51.61%

Eggs

$2.54 ₾6.73

$1.80 ₽133

41.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 ₾19.70

$8.93 ₽659

-16.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ₾16.43

$5.10 ₽376

21.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₾24.86

$8.69 ₽641

7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.25

$1.56 ₽115

-21.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₾4.40

$1.85 ₽136

-10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.78

$2.18 ₽161

-17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾5.96

$2.32 ₽171

-3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.89

$0.63 ₽46.83

12.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.79

$0.51 ₽37.96

31.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.13

$1.80 ₽133

-34.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.76

$0.61 ₽44.75

8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₾7.91

$3.09 ₽228

-3.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾20.21

$4.92 ₽363

54.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.08

$0.87 ₽64.2

77.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.98

$2.32 ₽172

-3.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.50 ₽37.05

-28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 ₾38.36

$40.57 ₽2,994

-64.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ₾3.96

$3.43 ₽253

-56.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.82

$0.39 ₽28.61

74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 ₾19.19

$3.72 ₽275

94.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.04

$0.74 ₽55.0

54.05%

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

$18.5K ₾49.0K

$48.7K ₽3.6M

-62.08%

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

$20.0K ₾53.0K

$44.6K ₽3.3M

-55.26%

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

$73.7 ₾196

$121 ₽8,917

-39.03%

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

$11.64 ₾30.91

$6.46 ₽477

80.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 ₾47.39

$8.49 ₽627

110.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 ₾160

$34.59 ₽2,552

73.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ₾44.63

$13.70 ₽1,011

22.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ₾17.54

$4.05 ₽299

62.96%

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

$266 ₾708

$313 ₽23.1K

-14.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,191 ₾13.8K

$6,042 ₽445.8K

-14.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾206

$99.4 ₽7,333

-21.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 ₾119

$48.35 ₽3,568

-7.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾310

$129 ₽9,549

-9.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾300

$74.7 ₽5,515

51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,839

$469 ₽34.6K

47.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,226

$281 ₽20.8K

64.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 ₾3,505

$1,234 ₽91.1K

6.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₾2,056

$714 ₽52.7K

8.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 ₾6,455

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 ₾3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 ₾1,787

$1,030 ₽76.0K

-34.65%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Samara: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $469 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samara pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $51.0 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $183, 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $997 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Samara earns 53% less. 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: $693 in Tbilisi versus $469 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Tbilisi versus $313 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $997 in Samara versus $1,209 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 21% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.