Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hickory, NC and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,078 in Hickory, NC, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

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

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Hickory, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,078

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,078 in Hickory, NC versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Hickory, NC $2,078
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,962 in Hickory, NC versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Hickory, NC $2,962
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,847 in Hickory, NC versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Hickory, NC $3,847
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Hickory, NC is roughly 64% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hickory, NC is 53% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.01 $15.01

$11.63 ₾30.07

29.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 $61.7

$37.83 ₾97.8

63.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 $11.03

$9.66 ₾24.98

14.18%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$3.57 ₾9.24

40.06%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$1.08 ₾2.78

106.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.56 ₾1.45

180.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.62 ₾6.78

108.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.04 ₾7.85

123.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.17 ₾5.60

-60.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$0.80 ₾2.06

356.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.74 ₾4.51

79.31%

Eggs

$3.43 $3.43

$2.83 ₾7.31

21.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$9.31 ₾24.07

15.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$6.52 ₾16.85

37.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$12.95 ₾33.50

31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.68 ₾4.34

137.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.85 ₾4.79

-5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.97 ₾5.10

19.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.42 ₾6.25

-27.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.82 ₾2.11

190.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.74 ₾1.91

339.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.34 ₾3.47

33.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.77 ₾2.00

174.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.00 $9.00

$3.57 ₾9.24

152.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$7.67 ₾19.83

94.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.70 ₾4.39

-2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.40 ₾6.21

22.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.40 ₾1.05

205.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.59 $44.59

$15.23 ₾39.38

192.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.14 ₾2.95

73.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.78 ₾2.02

191.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.72 $17.72

$11.83 ₾30.58

49.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.45 ₾3.75

-43.45%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

9.99%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

17.63%

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

$141 $141

$88.8 ₾230

58.36%

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

$59.9 $59.9

$13.12 ₾33.93

356.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 $54.1

$19.67 ₾50.9

174.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.46 $27.46

$64.1 ₾166

-57.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$7.12 ₾18.42

100.42%

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

$354 $354

$375 ₾971

-5.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

141.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.75 $40.75

$104 ₾268

-60.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.24 $20.24

$39.26 ₾102

-48.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.51 $39.51

$117 ₾303

-66.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.94 $49.94

$122 ₾315

-58.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 $1,299

$695 ₾1,798

86.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 $1,030

$451 ₾1,167

128.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 $1,688

$1,355 ₾3,504

24.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$906 ₾2,343

67.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 $2,141

$2,295 ₾5,934

-6.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,163 $2,163

$1,345 ₾3,478

60.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 $4,526

$664 ₾1,718

581.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

12.62

-56.18%

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

Last update for Hickory, NC: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hickory, NC

$1K 49.6%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 56.2% $579

Groceries & Markets

Hickory, NC

$338 16.3%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 30.8% $104

Eating Out

Hickory, NC

$269 13%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 29.2% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hickory, NC

$255 12.3%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 52.2% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Hickory, NC

$68 3.3%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 154% $104

Getting Around

Hickory, NC

$63 3%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 65.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Hickory, NC

$56 2.7%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 39.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,299 in Hickory, NC and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hickory, NC pays about 6.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Hickory, NC vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hickory, NC

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

18:03 6:03 PM

8 h ahead of Hickory, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,374

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

GEL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hickory, NC Tbilisi 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Hickory, 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

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

Hickory, NC and Tbilisi differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,078 vs $1,269 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Hickory, NC is about 6.8 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: $1,299 in Hickory, NC versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $62 in Hickory, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,078 per month in Hickory, NC versus $1,269 in Tbilisi – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,078 in Hickory, NC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Hickory, NC. 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.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Hickory, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.