Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
Learn more

Ames, IA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index

Jump to prices

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ames, IA and in Tbilisi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ames, IA and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $1,266 in Tbilisi.

Ames, IA $2,142
Tbilisi $1,266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $2,007 in Tbilisi.

Ames, IA $3,242
Tbilisi $2,007

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $2,749 in Tbilisi.

Ames, IA $4,342
Tbilisi $2,749

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 69% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ames, IA is 59% above, Tbilisi is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$11.34 ₾29.35

59.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$39.05 ₾101

33.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.63 ₾24.92

26.48%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.46 ₾8.95

40.75%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.09 ₾2.82

138.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.63 ₾1.62

257.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.77 ₾7.17

46.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.10 ₾8.04

119.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.25 ₾5.81

-60.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$0.80 ₾2.07

343.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.76 ₾4.55

85.23%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.75 ₾7.11

21.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$9.39 ₾24.32

7.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$6.66 ₾17.23

104.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$12.92 ₾33.45

47.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$1.67 ₾4.31

252.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.80 ₾4.65

1.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$1.92 ₾4.97

248.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.41 ₾6.24

116.60%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$0.86 ₾2.23

427.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$0.69 ₾1.80

489.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.40 ₾3.62

65.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.71 ₾1.85

243.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$3.51 ₾9.08

271.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$7.61 ₾19.69

111.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.63 ₾4.21

76.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.31 ₾5.98

115.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.37 ₾0.96

167.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$15.67 ₾40.57

126.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$1.14 ₾2.95

346.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.79 ₾2.05

113.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$11.86 ₾30.70

103.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.40 ₾3.62

-31.43%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$24.8K ₾64.2K

-0.22%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$21.9K ₾56.6K

14.72%

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

$176 $176

$89.1 ₾231

97.82%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$13.21 ₾34.19

311.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$19.76 ₾51.1

260.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$64.9 ₾168

6.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$19.02 ₾49.24

3.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$6.57 ₾17.02

143.07%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$377 ₾975

263.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$10.8K ₾27.9K

234.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$102 ₾265

-42.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$39.70 ₾103

12.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$118 ₾305

-23.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$123 ₾320

-15.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$666 ₾1,724

50.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$449 ₾1,163

83.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,284 ₾3,324

44.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$890 ₾2,303

69.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$2,425 ₾6,276

0.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,380 ₾3,573

58.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$680 ₾1,760

429.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

12.62

-49.21%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Tbilisi

$449 35.5% 45.4% $373

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Tbilisi

$234 18.5% 46.4% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Tbilisi

$122 9.7% 59.5% $180

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Tbilisi

$188 14.9% 35.9% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Tbilisi

$172 13.6% 28.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 22.7% $23

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Tbilisi

$22 1.8% 58.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $666 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 429% 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: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $39.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

13:40 1:40 PM

22:40 10:40 PM

9 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

GEL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ames, IA Tbilisi 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
Tbilisi

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

Ames, IA vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 429% higher in Ames, IA, 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: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $666 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 127% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $377 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ames, IA and Tbilisi 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 Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.