Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,071 in Durham versus $1,191 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Durham versus $1,856 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,995 in Durham versus $2,522 in Tbilisi.

Living in Durham is roughly 74% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durham is 56% above, Tbilisi is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 £14.44

$10.91 ₾28.57

76.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 £71.6

$43.19 ₾113

121.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 £7.65

$8.53 ₾22.32

19.93%

Cappuccino

$4.40 £3.29

$2.99 ₾7.82

47.16%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$0.81 ₾2.12

204.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$0.42 ₾1.09

378.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 £4.67

$2.16 ₾5.66

188.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 £4.17

$2.88 ₾7.53

93.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.34

$1.94 ₾5.08

-7.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.28

$0.68 ₾1.77

151.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.83

$1.85 ₾4.83

32.43%

Eggs

$4.12 £3.08

$2.53 ₾6.63

62.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 £6.94

$7.53 ₾19.70

23.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 £6.24

$6.26 ₾16.40

33.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 £7.20

$9.59 ₾25.10

0.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 £2.76

$1.16 ₾3.04

218.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 £1.70

$1.64 ₾4.29

39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 £2.50

$1.88 ₾4.93

77.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 £2.61

$2.23 ₾5.84

56.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 £0.86

$0.70 ₾1.83

62.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$0.64 ₾1.68

143.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.18 ₾3.10

-16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.30

$0.70 ₾1.83

147.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.90 £17.13

$2.97 ₾7.79

671.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.10

$7.43 ₾19.46

45.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.33

$1.54 ₾4.03

102.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 £2.24

$2.28 ₾5.98

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 £2.48

$0.36 ₾0.93

819.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 £41.06

$14.73 ₾38.56

272.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 £3.65

$1.42 ₾3.71

242.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 £1.15

$0.69 ₾1.81

123.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.07 £17.26

$7.27 ₾19.02

217.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.09 ₾2.86

83.49%

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

$36.6K £27.4K

$18.3K ₾48.0K

99.69%

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

$38.7K £29.0K

$20.5K ₾53.6K

88.94%

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

$273 £204

$74.4 ₾195

267.17%

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

$15.76 £11.79

$11.71 ₾30.65

34.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 £25.92

$17.60 ₾46.08

96.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.74 £37.21

$60.3 ₾158

-17.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 ₾42.65

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 £9.63

$6.51 ₾17.03

97.70%

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

$1,578 £1,180

$269 ₾704

486.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K £13.9K

$5,154 ₾13.5K

261.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £79.5

$77.1 ₾202

37.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.9 £44.83

$43.48 ₾114

37.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 £93.3

$118 ₾310

5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 £66.3

$113 ₾295

-21.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 £1,106

$709 ₾1,857

108.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 £614

$465 ₾1,216

76.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 £1,922

$1,316 ₾3,444

95.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 £938

$767 ₾2,007

63.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,054 £3,781

$2,492 ₾6,525

102.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,841 £2,874

$1,442 ₾3,775

166.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,061 £1,542

$663 ₾1,735

210.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

11.89

-54.16%

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

Last update for Durham: July 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,478 in Durham and $709 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 211% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $96.0 in Durham vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $204 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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 vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and Tbilisi differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($2,071 vs $1,191 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 211% higher in Durham, 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: $1,478 in Durham versus $709 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,071 per month in Durham versus $1,191 in Tbilisi – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 273% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,191 in Tbilisi versus $2,071 in Durham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Durham. 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.

Safety-wise, Durham and Tbilisi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.