Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,423 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

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

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,423

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,423 in Durham, NC versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Durham, NC $2,423
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,700 in Durham, NC versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Durham, NC $3,700
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,978 in Durham, NC versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Durham, NC $4,978
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Durham, NC is roughly 91% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durham, NC is 78% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.31 $15.31

$11.63 ₾30.07

31.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 $106

$37.83 ₾97.8

179.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$9.66 ₾24.98

3.11%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$3.57 ₾9.24

34.17%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.08 ₾2.78

179.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.56 ₾1.45

275.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 $6.18

$2.62 ₾6.78

135.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.04 ₾7.85

134.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.17 ₾5.60

-47.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$0.80 ₾2.06

487.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.74 ₾4.51

159.77%

Eggs

$3.45 $3.45

$2.83 ₾7.31

21.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.01 $19.01

$9.31 ₾24.07

104.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.98 $16.98

$6.52 ₾16.85

160.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$12.95 ₾33.50

31.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$1.68 ₾4.33

237.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.85 ₾4.79

-1.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.97 ₾5.10

97.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.42 ₾6.25

89.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.82 ₾2.11

176.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$0.74 ₾1.91

427.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.34 ₾3.47

105.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.77 ₾2.00

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.57 $8.57

$3.57 ₾9.24

140.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$7.67 ₾19.83

98.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.70 ₾4.39

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.40 ₾6.21

67.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.14 ₾2.95

71.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.78 ₾2.02

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.45 ₾3.75

-30.34%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

25.73%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

16.60%

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

$226 $226

$88.8 ₾230

154.71%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$13.12 ₾33.93

333.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$19.67 ₾50.9

263.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 $51.5

$64.1 ₾166

-19.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 $12.36

$7.12 ₾18.42

73.60%

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

$1,567 $1,567

$375 ₾971

317.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.29 $45.29

$104 ₾268

-56.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 $35.33

$39.26 ₾102

-10.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$117 ₾303

-22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$122 ₾315

9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,502 $1,502

$695 ₾1,798

116.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 $1,118

$451 ₾1,167

147.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 $2,272

$1,355 ₾3,504

67.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$906 ₾2,343

117.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,463 $3,463

$2,295 ₾5,934

50.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,420 $2,420

$1,345 ₾3,478

79.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,786 $4,786

$664 ₾1,718

620.45%

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 Durham, NC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham, NC

$1.1K 46.2%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 59.6% $667

Groceries & Markets

Durham, NC

$456 18.8%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 48.7% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham, NC

$355 14.6%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 65.7% $233

Eating Out

Durham, NC

$276 11.4%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 30.8% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Durham, NC

$137 5.7%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 25.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Durham, NC

$76 3.2%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 2.7% $2.1

Getting Around

Durham, NC

$5 * 0.2%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 341% $17

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 $1,502 in Durham, NC and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays about 7.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $106 in Durham, NC vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

08:46 8:46 AM

9 h ahead of Durham, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,506

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

Durham, NC Tbilisi 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Durham, 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

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

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Durham, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Durham, NC is about 7.2 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: $1,502 in Durham, NC versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Durham, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,423 per month in Durham, NC versus $1,269 in Tbilisi – Tbilisi is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,423 in Durham, NC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Durham, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tbilisi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Durham, NC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Durham, NC 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, Durham, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.