Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arenal and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,673 in Arenal, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Arenal
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Arenal Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Arenal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arenal 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 Arenal and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,673 in Arenal versus $1,266 in Tbilisi.

Arenal $1,673
Tbilisi $1,266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,631 in Arenal versus $2,007 in Tbilisi.

Arenal $2,631
Tbilisi $2,007

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,589 in Arenal versus $2,749 in Tbilisi.

Arenal $3,589
Tbilisi $2,749

Living in Arenal is roughly 32% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arenal is 24% above, Tbilisi is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.02 ₡5,402

$11.34 ₾29.35

6.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.3K

$39.05 ₾101

55.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,277

$9.63 ₾24.93

21.91%

Cappuccino

$4.53 ₡2,034

$3.46 ₾8.96

30.92%

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

$2.75 ₡1,235

$1.09 ₾2.82

152.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡870

$0.63 ₾1.62

207.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,500

$2.77 ₾7.17

20.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₡1,951

$3.10 ₾8.04

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₡1,037

$2.25 ₾5.81

2.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₡1,411

$0.80 ₾2.08

292.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$1.76 ₾4.55

42.05%

Eggs

$3.46 ₡1,554

$2.75 ₾7.11

25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,753

$9.39 ₾24.32

12.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,600

$6.66 ₾17.23

53.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,337

$12.92 ₾33.46

9.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,317

$1.67 ₾4.31

208.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡718

$1.80 ₾4.65

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 ₡2,076

$1.92 ₾4.97

140.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,702

$2.41 ₾6.24

57.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,724

$0.86 ₾2.23

346.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,669

$0.69 ₾1.80

437.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.40 ₾3.62

-22.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₡1,424

$0.71 ₾1.85

346.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 ₡2,616

$3.51 ₾9.08

65.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.68 ₡8,841

$7.61 ₾19.69

158.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,257

$1.63 ₾4.21

71.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ₡1,628

$2.31 ₾5.98

56.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ₡627

$0.37 ₾0.96

278.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$1.14 ₾2.95

119.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.79 ₾2.05

98.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 ₡3,812

$11.86 ₾30.71

-28.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡708

$1.40 ₾3.62

12.86%

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

$22.1K ₡9.9M

$24.8K ₾64.2K

-10.76%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$21.9K ₾56.6K

62.99%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$89.1 ₾231

5.78%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$13.21 ₾34.19

171.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡26.6K

$19.76 ₾51.2

199.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.2 ₡35.2K

$64.9 ₾168

20.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.25

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ₡3,373

$6.57 ₾17.02

14.31%

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

$989 ₡444.4K

$377 ₾975

162.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$10.8K ₾28.0K

56.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.3K

$102 ₾265

-29.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 ₡25.6K

$39.70 ₾103

43.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$118 ₾305

11.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$123 ₾320

6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 ₡357.7K

$666 ₾1,724

19.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ₡256.2K

$449 ₾1,163

26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 ₡736.2K

$1,284 ₾3,325

27.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 ₡490.3K

$890 ₾2,303

22.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,277

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,574

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.62

-31.70%

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

Last update for Arenal: 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

Arenal

$570 34.1%

Tbilisi

$449 35.5% 21.2% $121

Groceries & Markets

Arenal

$398 23.8%

Tbilisi

$234 18.5% 41.3% $165

Eating Out

Arenal

$230 13.7%

Tbilisi

$188 14.9% 18.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arenal

$189 11.3%

Tbilisi

$122 9.7% 35.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Arenal

$176 10.5%

Tbilisi

$172 13.6% 2.1% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Arenal

$93 5.6%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 16.3% $15

Getting Around

Arenal

$16 * 1%

Tbilisi

$22 1.8% 39.5% $6.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Arenal and $666 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Arenal vs $39.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Arenal

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

02:58 2:58 AM

12:58 12:58 PM

10 h ahead of Arenal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,300

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Arenal Tbilisi 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Arenal
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

Arenal vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,509 in Arenal and $1,899 in Tbilisi 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: $796 in Arenal versus $666 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $989 in Arenal versus $377 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $61.0 in Arenal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $1,673 in Arenal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Arenal. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tbilisi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arenal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arenal 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 32% less than in Arenal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.