Cost of Living Comparison Between Elgin and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Elgin and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,753 in Elgin versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Elgin versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,897 in Elgin versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Elgin is roughly 45% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elgin is 31% above, Tbilisi is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 £13.85

$10.80 ₾28.71

72.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 £60.0

$43.18 ₾115

86.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 £4.90

$8.29 ₾22.04

-20.51%

Cappuccino

$4.03 £3.00

$3.00 ₾7.97

34.33%

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

$1.35 £1.00

$0.82 ₾2.17

64.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 £1.02

$0.46 ₾1.21

197.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 £3.62

$2.23 ₾5.93

117.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 £4.15

$2.92 ₾7.75

91.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.93 ₾5.12

-8.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.29

$0.68 ₾1.81

155.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 £2.04

$1.88 ₾5.00

45.74%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.97

$2.54 ₾6.74

57.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 £7.23

$7.42 ₾19.70

31.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 £7.05

$6.19 ₾16.44

53.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.65 £10.15

$9.36 ₾24.87

45.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 £2.55

$1.22 ₾3.25

181.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 £0.80

$1.66 ₾4.40

-35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 £1.50

$1.80 ₾4.78

12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 £2.75

$2.24 ₾5.96

65.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 £0.52

$0.71 ₾1.89

-1.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 £0.87

$0.67 ₾1.79

76.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 £0.46

$1.18 ₾3.13

-48.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 £0.74

$0.66 ₾1.76

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.26 £15.80

$2.98 ₾7.91

613.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 £8.42

$7.61 ₾20.22

48.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

$1.54 ₾4.08

93.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.53

$2.25 ₾5.99

51.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 £3.46

$0.36 ₾0.95

1194.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 £94.1

$14.44 ₾38.38

776.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 £3.98

$1.49 ₾3.97

259.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 £1.68

$0.68 ₾1.82

232.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.01 £20.07

$7.23 ₾19.20

273.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.14 ₾3.04

74.56%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$18.5K ₾49.1K

106.47%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$20.0K ₾53.1K

97.33%

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

$205 £153

$73.7 ₾196

178.79%

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

$17.43 £12.96

$11.64 ₾30.92

49.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.62 £30.19

$17.84 ₾47.41

127.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.25 £23.23

$60.1 ₾160

-48.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 £9.04

$16.80 ₾44.65

-27.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 £7.98

$6.60 ₾17.55

62.73%

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

$1,157 £860

$266 ₾708

334.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.5K

$5,191 ₾13.8K

248.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.35 £27.02

$77.7 ₾206

-53.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.70 £19.84

$44.75 ₾119

-40.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £70.6

$117 ₾310

-18.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £78.8

$113 ₾300

-6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 £694

$693 ₾1,840

34.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 £462

$462 ₾1,227

34.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 £1,374

$1,320 ₾3,507

40.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 £904

$774 ₾2,057

57.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,618 £1,946

$2,430 ₾6,458

7.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 £1,630

$1,446 ₾3,842

51.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,995 £1,483

$673 ₾1,788

196.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

11.89

-55.26%

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

Last update for Elgin: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in Elgin and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elgin pays 197% 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: $81.0 in Elgin vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $203 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

Elgin vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elgin and Tbilisi differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,753 vs $1,209 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Elgin pays 197% more on average, 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: $934 in Elgin versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 776% less than in Elgin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,157 in Elgin versus $266 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $1,753 in Elgin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Elgin. 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, Elgin 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 45% less than in Elgin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.