Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,314 per month in Charleston, SC vs $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Charleston, SC $3,314
Tbilisi $1,266

A couple spends around $4,834 per month in Charleston, SC vs $2,007 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Charleston, SC $4,834
Tbilisi $2,007

A family of three spends $6,355 per month in Charleston, SC vs $2,749 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Charleston, SC $6,355
Tbilisi $2,749

Charleston, SC costs about 162% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Charleston, SC sits 145% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.88 $19.88

$11.34 ₾29.35

75.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 $131

$39.05 ₾101

234.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$9.63 ₾24.92

23.68%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$3.46 ₾8.95

70.52%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$1.09 ₾2.82

166.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.63 ₾1.62

276.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$2.77 ₾7.17

141.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.10 ₾8.04

154.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.25 ₾5.81

-48.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$0.80 ₾2.07

416.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.76 ₾4.55

159.66%

Eggs

$5.25 $5.25

$2.75 ₾7.11

90.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.51 $22.51

$9.39 ₾24.32

139.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 $14.38

$6.66 ₾17.23

115.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.97 $20.97

$12.92 ₾33.45

62.31%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 $7.97

$1.67 ₾4.31

377.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.80 ₾4.65

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.92 ₾4.97

159.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$2.41 ₾6.24

194.19%

Potato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$0.86 ₾2.23

490.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$0.69 ₾1.80

428.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.40 ₾3.62

103.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$0.71 ₾1.85

364.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$3.51 ₾9.08

180.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 $20.33

$7.61 ₾19.69

167.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.63 ₾4.21

68.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.31 ₾5.98

31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.37 ₾0.96

437.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$15.67 ₾40.57

268.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.14 ₾2.95

168.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.79 ₾2.05

55.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.67 $31.67

$11.86 ₾30.70

167.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.40 ₾3.62

-31.43%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$24.8K ₾64.2K

44.11%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$21.9K ₾56.6K

18.10%

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

$233 $233

$89.1 ₾231

161.56%

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

$78.3 $78.3

$13.21 ₾34.19

492.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.8 $85.8

$19.76 ₾51.1

334.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.77 $45.77

$64.9 ₾168

-29.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$19.02 ₾49.24

3.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$6.57 ₾17.02

115.22%

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

$1,274 $1,274

$377 ₾975

238.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K $27.2K

$10.8K ₾27.9K

152.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 $78.9

$102 ₾265

-22.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 $45.52

$39.70 ₾103

14.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$118 ₾305

-3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$123 ₾320

10.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$666 ₾1,724

253.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 $1,728

$449 ₾1,163

284.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,610 $3,610

$1,284 ₾3,324

181.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 $2,630

$890 ₾2,303

195.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,673 $5,673

$2,425 ₾6,276

133.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,048 $3,048

$1,380 ₾3,573

120.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,858 $4,858

$680 ₾1,760

614.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

12.62

-48.42%

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

Last update for Charleston, SC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2%

Tbilisi

$449 35.5% 74% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1%

Tbilisi

$234 18.5% 56.3% $301

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charleston, SC

$397 12%

Tbilisi

$122 9.7% 69.3% $275

Eating Out

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1%

Tbilisi

$188 14.9% 44% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1%

Tbilisi

$172 13.6% 2.2% $3.8

Getting Around

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3%

Tbilisi

$22 1.8% 70.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 5.4% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,353 in Charleston, SC versus $666 in Tbilisi. 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 615% higher in Charleston, SC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $131 in Charleston, SC versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $535 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

16:35 4:35 PM

8 h ahead of Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,227

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

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Between locations

Charleston, SC Tbilisi 9,990 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Charleston, SC
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

Charleston, SC vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC costs about 162% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,970 per month in Charleston, SC and $1,899 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,274 per month in Charleston, SC and $377 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 129% more in Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Charleston, SC at $3,314. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,266 versus $3,314 in Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.