Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,270 a month against $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubuque, IA
🇺🇸 United States
$1,731
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,270
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Dubuque, IA $1,731
  • Tbilisi $1,270

A couple spends around $2,538 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $2,008 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Dubuque, IA $2,538
  • Tbilisi $2,008

A family of three spends $3,345 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $2,745 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Dubuque, IA $3,345
  • Tbilisi $2,745

Dubuque, IA costs about 36% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Dubuque, IA sits 28% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubuque, IA
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.85 $13.85
$11.51 ₾29.79
20.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.71 $49.71
$38.27 ₾99.1
29.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.80 $11.80
$9.80 ₾25.36
20.41%
Cappuccino
$4.99 $4.99
$3.55 ₾9.19
40.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.06 ₾2.74
90.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.95 $0.95
$0.62 ₾1.60
53.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.76 ₾7.16
9.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 $4.53
$3.00 ₾7.77
51.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubuque, IA
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.78 $0.78
$2.16 ₾5.59
-63.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.71 $2.71
$0.76 ₾1.96
256.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.74 ₾4.51
62.07%
Eggs
$2.85 $2.85
$2.79 ₾7.21
2.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.05 $14.05
$9.20 ₾23.83
52.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.38 $10.38
$6.53 ₾16.89
58.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.63 $10.63
$12.81 ₾33.17
-17.02%
Apples (1kg)
$3.32 $3.32
$1.67 ₾4.31
98.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.85 ₾4.79
-34.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.98 ₾5.13
64.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 $2.45
$2.51 ₾6.49
-2.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 $1.36
$0.87 ₾2.26
56.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$0.73 ₾1.89
128.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.42 ₾3.67
70.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$0.72 ₾1.88
148.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.70 $8.70
$3.38 ₾8.74
157.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.36 $13.36
$7.84 ₾20.31
70.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 $1.69
$1.62 ₾4.19
4.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$2.38 ₾6.15
18.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubuque, IA
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.37 ₾0.96
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$15.52 ₾40.16
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$1.14 ₾2.94
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.79 ₾2.05
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$11.57 ₾29.96
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.50 ₾3.87
-39.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.5K $24.5K
$24.6K ₾63.7K
-0.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K $25.0K
$22.4K ₾57.9K
11.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubuque, IA
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 $176
$88.3 ₾228
99.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.0 $52.0
$13.08 ₾33.86
297.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.7 $50.7
$19.53 ₾50.6
159.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubuque, IA
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.87 $36.87
$64.2 ₾166
-42.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.18 ₾49.66
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.17 $8.17
$6.99 ₾18.10
16.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubuque, IA
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$812 $812
$373 ₾966
117.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$10.7K ₾27.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubuque, IA
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.6 $55.6
$103 ₾266
-45.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.65 $35.65
$40.48 ₾105
-11.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.1 $86.1
$116 ₾301
-25.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.7 $88.7
$122 ₾316
-27.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubuque, IA
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 $985
$677 ₾1,753
45.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 $725
$454 ₾1,176
59.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,476 $1,476
$1,277 ₾3,305
15.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 $1,201
$890 ₾2,304
34.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,732 $1,732
$2,410 ₾6,238
-28.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,707 $1,707
$1,418 ₾3,670
20.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubuque, IA
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,768 $3,768
$703 ₾1,819
436.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
12.62
-58.40%

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

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubuque, IA
$725
Tbilisi
$454 37.3% $271
Groceries & Markets
Dubuque, IA
$312
Tbilisi
$233 25.4% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubuque, IA
$279
Tbilisi
$121 56.7% $158
Eating Out
Dubuque, IA
$242
Tbilisi
$191 21.3% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Dubuque, IA
$120
Tbilisi
$172 43.4% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Dubuque, IA
$53
Tbilisi
$78 46.9% $25
Getting Around
Dubuque, IA
- *
Tbilisi
$22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Dubuque, IA versus $677 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 436% higher in Dubuque, IA, 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 $50.0 in Dubuque, IA versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $233 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
21:34 9:34 PM
06:34 6:34 AM
9 h ahead of Dubuque, IA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
59,667
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubuque, IA Tbilisi 9,640 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubuque, IA
  • 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
Dubuque, IA vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Dubuque, IA or Tbilisi?
Dubuque, IA costs about 36% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Dubuque, IA and in Tbilisi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,596 per month in Dubuque, IA and $1,906 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Dubuque, IA or Tbilisi?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Dubuque, IA compared to Tbilisi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,731 in Dubuque, IA and $1,270 in Tbilisi. That's a gap of about 36%.
How do childcare costs compare in Dubuque, IA and in Tbilisi?
Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Dubuque, IA and $373 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Dubuque, IA or in Tbilisi?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,270, than in Dubuque, IA at $1,731. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubuque, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Dubuque, IA or Tbilisi?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,270 versus $1,731 in Dubuque, IA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Dubuque, IA compared to Tbilisi?
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.
Should I move to Dubuque, IA or to Tbilisi?
If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubuque, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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