Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elgin, IL and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,057 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tbilisi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Elgin, IL, United States
Tbilisi, Georgia
Elgin, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$1,057
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Elgin, IL versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

  • Elgin, IL $1,057
  • Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,633 in Elgin, IL versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

  • Elgin, IL $2,633
  • Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,209 in Elgin, IL versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

  • Elgin, IL $4,209
  • Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Elgin, IL costs roughly 17% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Elgin, IL 22% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Elgin, IL
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.39 $20.39
$11.63 ₾30.06
75.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.1 $59.1
$37.83 ₾97.8
56.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.94 $9.94
$9.66 ₾24.98
2.90%
Cappuccino
$4.08 $4.08
$3.57 ₾9.24
14.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 $3.06
$1.08 ₾2.78
183.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$0.56 ₾1.45
264.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.98 $5.98
$2.62 ₾6.78
128.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.88 $4.88
$3.04 ₾7.85
60.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Elgin, IL
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$2.17 ₾5.60
-59.91%
White Bread (500g)
$3.52 $3.52
$0.80 ₾2.06
340.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$1.74 ₾4.51
138.51%
Eggs
$3.64 $3.64
$2.83 ₾7.31
28.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.13 $11.13
$9.31 ₾24.07
19.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.06 $13.06
$6.52 ₾16.85
100.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.98 $11.98
$12.95 ₾33.49
-7.49%
Apples (1kg)
$4.47 $4.47
$1.68 ₾4.33
166.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.33 $1.33
$1.85 ₾4.79
-28.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.97 ₾5.10
28.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.04 $4.04
$2.42 ₾6.25
66.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 $2.00
$0.82 ₾2.11
143.90%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 $2.01
$0.74 ₾1.91
171.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.34 ₾3.47
32.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 $2.40
$0.77 ₾2.00
211.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.58 $10.58
$3.57 ₾9.23
196.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.75 $15.75
$7.67 ₾19.83
105.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$1.70 ₾4.39
59.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.40 ₾6.21
47.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Elgin, IL
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.40 ₾1.05
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$15.23 ₾39.38
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.05 $4.05
$1.14 ₾2.95
255.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 $2.04
$0.78 ₾2.02
161.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.57 $27.57
$11.83 ₾30.58
133.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.45 ₾3.75
-28.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.2K $31.2K
$24.6K ₾63.6K
26.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$22.3K ₾57.8K
15.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elgin, IL
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$98.8 $98.8
$88.8 ₾230
11.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.3 $53.3
$13.12 ₾33.93
305.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.92 $49.92
$19.67 ₾50.9
153.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Elgin, IL
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$64.1 ₾166
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.04 ₾49.23
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.10 $15.10
$7.12 ₾18.42
112.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Elgin, IL
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,656 $1,656
$375 ₾971
341.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.4K $23.4K
$10.5K ₾27.1K
123.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Elgin, IL
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.64 $40.64
$104 ₾268
-60.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.3 $50.3
$39.26 ₾102
28.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.6 $99.6
$117 ₾303
-15.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 $120
$122 ₾315
-1.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Elgin, IL
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$695 ₾1,798
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$451 ₾1,167
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,162 $2,162
$1,355 ₾3,504
59.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,820 $1,820
$906 ₾2,343
100.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,201 $2,201
$2,295 ₾5,934
-4.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,268 $2,268
$1,345 ₾3,477
68.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Elgin, IL
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,966 $3,966
$664 ₾1,718
497.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
12.62
-46.99%

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

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Elgin, IL
$368
Tbilisi
$234 36.5% $135
Eating Out
Elgin, IL
$302
Tbilisi
$191 36.9% $111
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elgin, IL
$202
Tbilisi
$122 39.8% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Elgin, IL
$140
Tbilisi
$172 23% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Elgin, IL
$30 *
Tbilisi
$78 159% $48
Getting Around
Elgin, IL
$14 *
Tbilisi
$22 53.6% $7.6
Accommodation & Living
Elgin, IL
- *
Tbilisi
$451

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

Cost Breakdown

Elgin, IL pays about 6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59 in Elgin, IL vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Elgin, IL
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
02:12 2:12 AM
11:12 11:12 AM
9 h ahead of Elgin, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
112,603
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 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Elgin, IL Tbilisi 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Elgin, 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
Elgin, IL vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elgin, IL cheaper than Tbilisi?
Elgin, IL is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Elgin, IL or Tbilisi?
Average pay in Elgin, IL is about 6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,656 in Elgin, IL versus $375 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Elgin, IL or in Tbilisi?
Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $59 in Elgin, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 enough for either Elgin, IL or Tbilisi?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Elgin, IL gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Elgin, IL or in Tbilisi?
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.
Which city is safer, Elgin, IL or Tbilisi?
Safety-wise, Elgin, IL and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Elgin, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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