Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helena, MT and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $3,107 in Helena, MT, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,107

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,107 in Helena, MT versus $1,242 in Tbilisi.

Helena, MT $3,107
Tbilisi $1,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,494 in Helena, MT versus $1,962 in Tbilisi.

Helena, MT $4,494
Tbilisi $1,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,882 in Helena, MT versus $2,682 in Tbilisi.

Helena, MT $5,882
Tbilisi $2,682

Living in Helena, MT is roughly 150% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Helena, MT is 132% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 $21.52

$10.98 ₾28.46

95.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$38.21 ₾99.0

165.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.96 $17.96

$9.58 ₾24.84

87.47%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$3.59 ₾9.31

39.00%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$1.03 ₾2.66

114.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.63 ₾1.64

173.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.74 ₾7.10

79.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.17 ₾8.22

115.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.13 ₾5.53

-49.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$0.74 ₾1.91

401.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.72 ₾4.46

158.72%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$2.78 ₾7.21

35.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$9.48 ₾24.56

86.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 $8.78

$6.45 ₾16.71

36.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.02 ₾33.76

54.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.69 ₾4.37

171.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.84 ₾4.76

-1.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.89 ₾4.90

144.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.40 ₾6.22

65.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.84 ₾2.17

155.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.68 ₾1.75

126.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.42 ₾3.68

16.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.77 ₾2.01

102.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.39 $10.39

$3.56 ₾9.22

191.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 $12.78

$7.48 ₾19.39

70.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.71 ₾4.43

-1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.29 ₾5.94

8.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.40 ₾1.04

795.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$15.15 ₾39.27

290.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 $10.03

$1.19 ₾3.08

742.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 $3.33

$0.78 ₾2.03

326.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.80 $44.80

$11.77 ₾30.50

280.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.41 ₾3.65

-29.79%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$24.3K ₾62.9K

48.68%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$21.7K ₾56.3K

43.02%

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

$369 $369

$87.6 ₾227

321.34%

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

$68.1 $68.1

$13.33 ₾34.55

411.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.0 $93.0

$19.51 ₾50.6

376.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 $52.0

$64.7 ₾168

-19.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.90 $14.90

$18.85 ₾48.86

-20.95%

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 $12.19

$6.55 ₾16.97

86.11%

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

$1,962 $1,962

$377 ₾978

420.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$10.6K ₾27.5K

159.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$102 ₾265

-35.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 $120

$40.36 ₾105

197.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 $81.0

$117 ₾302

-30.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$121 ₾314

0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 $1,756

$675 ₾1,749

160.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 $1,547

$451 ₾1,170

242.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 $2,940

$1,275 ₾3,305

130.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 $2,450

$883 ₾2,288

177.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,548 $3,548

$2,415 ₾6,259

46.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,944 $2,944

$1,404 ₾3,640

109.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,710 $6,710

$706 ₾1,830

850.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

12.62

-48.02%

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

Last update for Helena, MT: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helena, MT

$1.5K 49.1%

Tbilisi

$451 35.8% 70.8% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helena, MT

$530 16.8%

Tbilisi

$120 9.6% 77.3% $410

Groceries & Markets

Helena, MT

$384 12.2%

Tbilisi

$232 18.4% 39.5% $152

Eating Out

Helena, MT

$340 10.8%

Tbilisi

$186 14.8% 45.2% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Helena, MT

$175 5.5%

Tbilisi

$171 13.6% 1.9% $3.4

Getting Around

Helena, MT

$100 3.2%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 78.2% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Helena, MT

$76 2.4%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 1.8% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,756 in Helena, MT and $675 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helena, MT pays 850% 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: $101 in Helena, MT vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $232 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

10 h ahead of Helena, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,091

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

GEL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Helena, MT Tbilisi 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Helena, MT
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

Helena, MT vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helena, MT and Tbilisi differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($3,107 vs $1,242 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 850% higher in Helena, MT, 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: $1,756 in Helena, MT versus $675 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,962 in Helena, MT versus $377 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Helena, MT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $3,107 in Helena, MT, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Helena, MT. 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, Helena, MT 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 150% less than in Helena, MT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.