Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Tbilisi $2,763

Chicago, IL costs about 139% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chicago, IL sits 123% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$11.63 ₾30.07

78.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$37.83 ₾97.8

135.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.66 ₾24.98

36.54%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.57 ₾9.24

58.54%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.08 ₾2.78

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.56 ₾1.45

307.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$2.62 ₾6.78

162.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$3.04 ₾7.85

190.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.17 ₾5.60

-42.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.80 ₾2.06

365.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.74 ₾4.51

209.77%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.83 ₾7.31

67.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.31 ₾24.07

48.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$6.52 ₾16.85

120.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$12.95 ₾33.50

41.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$1.68 ₾4.34

210.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.85 ₾4.79

7.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.97 ₾5.10

106.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.42 ₾6.25

105.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.82 ₾2.11

225.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$0.74 ₾1.91

259.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.34 ₾3.47

67.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$0.77 ₾2.00

306.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$3.57 ₾9.24

287.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$7.67 ₾19.83

94.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 ₾4.39

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.40 ₾6.21

46.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.40 ₾1.05

507.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$15.23 ₾39.38

382.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.14 ₾2.95

178.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.78 ₾2.02

78.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$11.83 ₾30.58

111.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.45 ₾3.75

-17.24%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

42.56%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

19.42%

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

$194 $194

$88.8 ₾230

118.94%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$13.12 ₾33.93

429.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$19.67 ₾50.9

213.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$64.1 ₾166

-25.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$19.04 ₾49.24

43.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$7.12 ₾18.42

150.14%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$375 ₾971

377.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

205.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$104 ₾268

-35.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.26 ₾102

32.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$117 ₾303

-13.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$122 ₾315

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$695 ₾1,798

263.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$451 ₾1,167

249.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,355 ₾3,504

249.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$906 ₾2,343

197.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,295 ₾5,934

82.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,345 ₾3,478

105.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$664 ₾1,718

642.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

12.62

-46.04%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: 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

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 71.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 47.7% $213

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 44.7% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 62.6% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 4.8% $7.9

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 76.5% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 6.2% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $695 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 in Chicago, IL are about 7.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

19:45 7:45 PM

9 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

GEL to USD in detail →

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Chicago, IL Tbilisi 9,570 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
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

Chicago, IL vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,269 in Tbilisi – roughly 139% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,904 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 91% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $38 in Tbilisi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,269 in Tbilisi to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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