Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Smolensk

For one person, living is cheaper in Smolensk: $1,090 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Smolensk
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Smolensk Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Smolensk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,090

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Smolensk

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,090 in Smolensk, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Smolensk $1,090

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,727 in Smolensk, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Smolensk $1,727

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,364 in Smolensk, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Smolensk $2,364

Tbilisi costs about 17% more than Smolensk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Smolensk are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Smolensk 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$10.07 ₽811

15.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$38.94 ₽3,136

-2.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$7.24 ₽583

33.43%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.49 ₽200

43.37%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.08 ₽86.8

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.67 ₽54.1

-16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.02 ₽163

29.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$3.16 ₽255

-3.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.16 ₽93.1

87.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.74 ₽60.0

8.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.39 ₽112

25.18%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.57 ₽126

80.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$11.58 ₽933

-19.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$5.52 ₽445

18.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$11.73 ₽945

10.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.75 ₽141

-4.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.91 ₽154

-3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.80 ₽145

9.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$2.87 ₽231

-15.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.83 ₽67.1

-1.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.60 ₽47.98

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.19 ₽95.8

12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.75 ₽60.2

2.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.07 ₽247

16.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$8.86 ₽714

-13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.16 ₽93.7

46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.37 ₽191

1.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.57 ₽45.82

-29.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$26.18 ₽2,108

-41.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.20 ₽178

-48.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.34 ₽27.20

129.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$5.31 ₽428

122.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.82 ₽65.6

76.83%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$51.3K ₽4.1M

-52.11%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$35.2K ₽2.8M

-36.52%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$123 ₽9,877

-27.59%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$6.08 ₽490

115.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$8.49 ₽684

131.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$36.59 ₽2,947

75.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$22.48 ₽1,811

-15.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$7.13 ₽574

-0.14%

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

$375 ₾971

$348 ₽28.0K

7.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$7,371 ₽593.6K

42.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$81.4 ₽6,557

27.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$49.52 ₽3,988

-20.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$123 ₽9,891

-4.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$99.5 ₽8,012

22.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$483 ₽38.9K

44.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$339 ₽27.3K

33.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$990 ₽79.8K

36.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$668 ₽53.8K

35.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$2,278 ₽183.5K

0.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,650 ₽132.8K

-18.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$777 ₽62.6K

-14.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

21.45

-41.17%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Smolensk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Smolensk

$339 31.1% 24.9% $112

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Smolensk

$216 19.8% 7.7% $18

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Smolensk

$156 14.3% 18.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Smolensk

$159 14.6% 7.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Smolensk

$137 12.6% 12.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Smolensk

$51 4.7% 35.1% $27

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Smolensk

$32 3% 47.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $483 in Smolensk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Smolensk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $39 in Smolensk. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $216 in Smolensk – so Smolensk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇷🇺 Smolensk

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

03:07 3:07 AM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

325,495

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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 = 0.346 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Smolensk 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Smolensk

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 Smolensk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,634 in Smolensk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Smolensk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $483 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Tbilisi and $348 in Smolensk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Tbilisi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,090 in Smolensk, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Smolensk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.