Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Semey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $712 in Semey.

Tbilisi $1,269
Semey $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $1,148 in Semey.

Tbilisi $2,016
Semey $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,584 in Semey.

Tbilisi $2,763
Semey $1,584

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 78% more expensive than in Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Semey 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$4.93 ₸2,235

135.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$21.82 ₸9,898

73.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$5.49 ₸2,491

75.96%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.70 ₸771

110.00%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.76 ₸345

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.48 ₸216

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$0.91 ₸412

187.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$1.35 ₸614

125.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.03 ₸469

110.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.37 ₸167

116.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.86 ₸845

-6.45%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.53 ₸693

84.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$5.36 ₸2,432

73.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$3.86 ₸1,751

68.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$5.43 ₸2,461

138.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.23 ₸559

36.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.65 ₸748

12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.72 ₸781

14.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.69 ₸768

43.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.39 ₸176

110.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.60 ₸274

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.02 ₸461

31.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.99 ₸448

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.46 ₸1,116

45.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$7.24 ₸3,282

5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.31 ₸596

29.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.20 ₸998

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.25 ₸114

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$15.69 ₸7,119

-2.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.29 ₸586

-11.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.14 ₸515

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$6.54 ₸2,968

80.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.65 ₸293

123.08%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$32.4K ₸14.7M

-24.07%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$26.3K ₸11.9M

-15.00%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$33.66 ₸15.3K

163.81%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$9.01 ₸4,088

45.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$18.84 ₸8,544

4.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$42.36 ₸19.2K

51.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$11.23 ₸5,095

69.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$4.39 ₸1,993

62.19%

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

$375 ₾971

$132 ₸60.0K

183.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$4,406 ₸2.0M

137.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$28.90 ₸13.1K

258.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$25.47 ₸11.6K

54.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$100 ₸45.4K

17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$76.6 ₸34.7K

58.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$339 ₸153.5K

105.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$229 ₸103.8K

97.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$611 ₸276.9K

121.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$489 ₸221.6K

85.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$1,205 ₸546.7K

90.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$739 ₸335.4K

81.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

19.25

-34.44%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Semey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Semey

$229 32.2% 49.3% $222

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Semey

$154 21.7% 34% $80

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Semey

$88 12.4% 53.6% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Semey

$104 14.6% 39.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Semey

$62 8.6% 49.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Semey

$51 7.2% 34.7% $27

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Semey

$24 3.3% 8% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $339 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $22 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $154 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

1 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

310,456

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Semey 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,904 in Tbilisi and $1,068 in Semey 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $339 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 3% less than in Semey. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $132 in Semey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $712 in Semey versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semey but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Semey 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.