Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Saransk Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Saransk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $873 in Saransk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $1,380 in Saransk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $1,887 in Saransk.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 37% more expensive than in Saransk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Saransk 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$11.53 ₽906

-6.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$38.20 ₽3,001

14.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$5.82 ₽458

42.78%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$2.65 ₽209

12.08%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$1.26 ₽98.6

-38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$0.42 ₽33.13

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$1.05 ₽82.2

103.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$3.21 ₽252

-10.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.01 ₽79.6

88.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$0.58 ₽45.31

22.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$1.37 ₽107

39.42%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$1.54 ₽121

61.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$10.55 ₽829

-26.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$4.97 ₽391

24.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$8.91 ₽700

7.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$1.29 ₽102

-9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.69 ₽133

-2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$0.94 ₽73.6

96.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$2.49 ₽195

-6.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.72 ₽56.3

-1.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$0.66 ₽52.0

1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$1.21 ₽94.8

-1.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.59 ₽46.66

11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$2.49 ₽196

17.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$8.03 ₽631

-4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$1.03 ₽81.0

54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$1.50 ₽118

54.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$0.52 ₽41.16

-26.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

$25.17 ₽1,977

-41.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$1.86 ₽146

-19.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.54 ₽42.66

25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$7.82 ₽614

-7.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$0.77 ₽60.3

41.56%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$24.3K ₽1.9M

-23.32%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$27.7K ₽2.2M

-26.24%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$111 ₽8,719

-34.23%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$3.16 ₽248

278.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$7.44 ₽584

141.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$36.19 ₽2,843

68.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

$3.70 ₽291

346.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$6.25 ₽491

7.20%

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

$269 ₾705

$334 ₽26.2K

-19.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$3,987 ₽313.2K

29.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$44.73 ₽3,514

71.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$32.03 ₽2,516

35.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$62.4 ₽4,902

93.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$37.91 ₽2,978

191.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$503 ₽39.5K

36.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$253 ₽19.9K

86.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$772 ₽60.7K

75.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$507 ₽39.9K

55.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

$1,591 ₽125.0K

55.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

$1,057 ₽83.0K

37.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$452 ₽35.5K

45.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

16.33

-27.19%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Saransk: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $503 in Saransk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $38.00 in Saransk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $183 per month, with Saransk cheaper across the board.

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 Saransk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Saransk differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,197 vs $873 including rent). Saransk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $687 in Tbilisi versus $503 in Saransk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Saransk – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $44.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $873 in Saransk versus $1,197 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saransk but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Saransk 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 Saransk 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 Saransk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.