Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago, Costa Rica and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,733 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index

Jump to prices

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,733 in Cartago versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Cartago $1,733
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Cartago versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Cartago $2,363
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,993 in Cartago versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Cartago $2,993
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Cartago is roughly 37% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartago is 27% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 ₡3,886

$11.63 ₾30.07

-25.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.63 ₡16.1K

$37.83 ₾97.8

-5.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.75 ₡4,400

$9.66 ₾24.98

0.93%

Cappuccino

$4.55 ₡2,056

$3.57 ₾9.24

27.45%

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

$2.24 ₡1,013

$1.08 ₾2.78

107.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₡618

$0.56 ₾1.45

144.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡972

$2.62 ₾6.78

-17.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 ₡1,896

$3.04 ₾7.85

38.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$2.17 ₾5.60

10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 ₡1,118

$0.80 ₾2.06

210.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,093

$1.74 ₾4.51

39.08%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,622

$2.83 ₾7.31

26.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 ₡3,940

$9.31 ₾24.07

-6.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,788

$6.52 ₾16.85

62.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 ₡6,288

$12.95 ₾33.50

7.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,279

$1.68 ₾4.33

200.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ₡601

$1.85 ₾4.79

-28.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 ₡1,975

$1.97 ₾5.10

121.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 ₡1,350

$2.42 ₾6.25

23.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 ₡977

$0.82 ₾2.11

163.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,015

$0.74 ₾1.91

204.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡484

$1.34 ₾3.47

-20.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡985

$0.77 ₾2.00

183.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 ₡2,700

$3.57 ₾9.24

67.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 ₡7,047

$7.67 ₾19.83

103.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,286

$1.70 ₾4.39

67.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₡911

$2.40 ₾6.21

-15.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 ₡571

$0.40 ₾1.05

217.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 ₡33.5K

$15.23 ₾39.38

386.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 ₡591

$1.14 ₾2.95

14.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡711

$0.78 ₾2.02

101.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 ₡3,941

$11.83 ₾30.58

-26.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡675

$1.45 ₾3.75

3.45%

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

$34.7K ₡15.7M

$24.6K ₾63.6K

41.13%

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

$42.3K ₡19.1M

$22.3K ₾57.8K

89.30%

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

$53.0 ₡23.9K

$88.8 ₾230

-40.32%

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

$36.31 ₡16.4K

$13.12 ₾33.93

176.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡27.1K

$19.67 ₾50.9

205.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 ₡30.7K

$64.1 ₾166

6.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.5 ₡35.0K

$19.04 ₾49.24

307.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 ₡3,234

$7.12 ₾18.42

0.56%

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

$559 ₡252.2K

$375 ₾971

48.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,872 ₡3.6M

$10.5K ₾27.1K

-24.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 ₡32.9K

$104 ₾268

-29.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 ₡25.7K

$39.26 ₾102

44.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.8K

$117 ₾303

3.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 ₡39.3K

$122 ₾315

-28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ₡331.0K

$695 ₾1,798

5.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 ₡327.1K

$451 ₾1,167

60.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 ₡866.9K

$1,355 ₾3,504

41.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 ₡316.8K

$906 ₾2,343

-22.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,305 ₡589.0K

$664 ₾1,718

96.40%

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 Cartago: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$725 41.8%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 37.7% $273

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$350 20.2%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 33.2% $116

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.8%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 2.3% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$152 8.8%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 13% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$149 8.6%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 18.6% $28

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 75.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$82 4.8%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 4.9% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Cartago and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 96% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Cartago vs $38 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $234, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

21:08 9:08 PM

10 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartago Tbilisi 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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

Cartago vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 96% higher in Cartago, 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: $733 in Cartago versus $695 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 79% less than in Cartago. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $559 in Cartago versus $375 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Tbilisi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Cartago and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Tbilisi wins on affordability, Cartago on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.