Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,871 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,871 in Cary, NC versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Cary, NC $2,871
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,202 in Cary, NC versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Cary, NC $4,202
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,532 in Cary, NC versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Cary, NC $5,532
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 126% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cary, NC is 111% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$11.63 ₾30.07

70.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$37.83 ₾97.8

166.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 $10.32

$9.66 ₾24.98

6.83%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$3.57 ₾9.24

42.58%

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

$2.11 $2.11

$1.08 ₾2.78

95.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.56 ₾1.45

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.62 ₾6.78

67.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.34 $6.34

$3.04 ₾7.85

108.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.17 ₾5.60

-53.92%

White Bread (500g)

$5.52 $5.52

$0.80 ₾2.06

590.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.74 ₾4.51

239.08%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$2.83 ₾7.31

49.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.17 $18.17

$9.31 ₾24.07

95.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.20 $17.20

$6.52 ₾16.85

163.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 $17.71

$12.95 ₾33.50

36.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$1.68 ₾4.33

257.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.85 ₾4.79

1.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.97 ₾5.10

83.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$2.42 ₾6.25

176.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$0.82 ₾2.11

287.80%

Onion (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$0.74 ₾1.91

487.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.34 ₾3.47

111.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.77 ₾2.00

207.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$3.57 ₾9.24

177.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 $10.22

$7.67 ₾19.83

33.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.70 ₾4.39

34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.40 ₾6.21

65.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$0.40 ₾1.05

535.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 $80.9

$15.23 ₾39.38

431.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.45 ₾3.75

-40.00%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

30.86%

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

$184 $184

$88.8 ₾230

106.99%

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

$48.24 $48.24

$13.12 ₾33.93

267.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$19.67 ₾50.9

245.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 $77.0

$64.1 ₾166

20.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.39 $22.39

$19.04 ₾49.24

17.59%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 $15.06

$7.12 ₾18.42

111.52%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$375 ₾971

290.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$104 ₾268

-38.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.17 $32.17

$39.26 ₾102

-18.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$117 ₾303

1.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$122 ₾315

10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 $1,937

$695 ₾1,798

178.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 $1,427

$451 ₾1,167

216.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$1,355 ₾3,504

94.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$906 ₾2,343

139.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,869 $2,869

$2,295 ₾5,934

25.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,638 $2,638

$1,345 ₾3,478

96.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,077 $6,077

$664 ₾1,718

814.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

12.62

-49.13%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.7%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 68.4% $976

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 16.9%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 51.9% $252

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$301 10.5%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 36.7% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$300 10.5%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 59.5% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$158 5.5%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 8.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$107 3.7%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 26.9% $29

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$91 * 3.2%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 76% $69

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 $1,937 in Cary, NC and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays about 9.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Cary, NC vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

06:11 6:11 AM

9 h ahead of Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

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).

GEL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cary, NC Tbilisi 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cary, NC
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

Cary, NC vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Cary, NC is about 9.1 times higher, 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: $1,937 in Cary, NC versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,466 in Cary, NC versus $375 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,871 in Cary, NC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi 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.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.