Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,270 a month against $2,576 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Knoxville, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,576
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,270
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,576 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,270 in Tbilisi.

  • Knoxville, TN $2,576
  • Tbilisi $1,270

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,786 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,008 in Tbilisi.

  • Knoxville, TN $3,786
  • Tbilisi $2,008

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,997 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,745 in Tbilisi.

  • Knoxville, TN $4,997
  • Tbilisi $2,745

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 103% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Knoxville, TN is 90% above, Tbilisi is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Knoxville, TN
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.71 $17.71
$11.51 ₾29.79
53.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.6 $74.6
$38.27 ₾99.1
94.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.86 $9.86
$9.80 ₾25.36
0.61%
Cappuccino
$5.38 $5.38
$3.55 ₾9.19
51.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 $2.83
$1.06 ₾2.74
166.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 $2.75
$0.62 ₾1.60
343.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.36 $6.36
$2.76 ₾7.16
130.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.60 $6.60
$3.00 ₾7.77
120.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Knoxville, TN
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 $1.06
$2.16 ₾5.59
-50.93%
White Bread (500g)
$3.47 $3.47
$0.76 ₾1.96
356.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.56 $4.56
$1.74 ₾4.51
162.07%
Eggs
$4.46 $4.46
$2.79 ₾7.21
59.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.08 $10.08
$9.20 ₾23.83
9.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.22 $9.22
$6.53 ₾16.89
41.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.91 $14.91
$12.81 ₾33.17
16.39%
Apples (1kg)
$7.04 $7.04
$1.67 ₾4.31
321.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 $1.55
$1.85 ₾4.79
-16.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 $2.87
$1.98 ₾5.13
44.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.58 $5.58
$2.51 ₾6.49
122.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.87 ₾2.26
148.28%
Onion (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$0.73 ₾1.89
497.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.42 ₾3.67
57.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$0.72 ₾1.88
204.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.99 $8.99
$3.38 ₾8.74
165.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.23 $15.23
$7.84 ₾20.31
94.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.62 ₾4.19
17.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$2.38 ₾6.15
31.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Knoxville, TN
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.02 $1.02
$0.37 ₾0.96
175.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.58 $29.58
$15.52 ₾40.16
90.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.10 $5.10
$1.14 ₾2.94
347.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 $1.51
$0.79 ₾2.05
91.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.87 $29.87
$11.57 ₾29.96
158.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.50 ₾3.87
-32.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K $27.9K
$24.6K ₾63.7K
13.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K $27.3K
$22.4K ₾57.9K
21.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Knoxville, TN
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$88.3 ₾228
153.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$74.4 $74.4
$13.08 ₾33.86
468.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 $53.1
$19.53 ₾50.6
171.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Knoxville, TN
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.37 $29.37
$64.2 ₾166
-54.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.90 $21.90
$19.18 ₾49.66
14.18%
Cinema Ticket
$15.20 $15.20
$6.99 ₾18.10
117.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Knoxville, TN
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,246 $1,246
$373 ₾966
234.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.5K $24.5K
$10.7K ₾27.7K
129.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Knoxville, TN
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.9 $50.9
$103 ₾266
-50.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.53 $45.53
$40.48 ₾105
12.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 $112
$116 ₾301
-4.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 $123
$122 ₾316
0.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Knoxville, TN
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,811 $1,811
$677 ₾1,753
167.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 $1,284
$454 ₾1,176
182.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,901 $2,901
$1,277 ₾3,305
127.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,144 $2,144
$890 ₾2,304
140.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,681 $4,681
$2,410 ₾6,238
94.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,243 $2,243
$1,418 ₾3,670
58.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Knoxville, TN
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,622 $3,622
$703 ₾1,819
415.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.64
12.62
-47.39%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Knoxville, TN
$1.3K
Tbilisi
$454 64.6% $830
Groceries & Markets
Knoxville, TN
$383
Tbilisi
$233 39.2% $150
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Knoxville, TN
$351
Tbilisi
$121 65.5% $230
Eating Out
Knoxville, TN
$303
Tbilisi
$191 37.1% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Knoxville, TN
$149
Tbilisi
$172 15.2% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Knoxville, TN
$60
Tbilisi
$78 30.8% $18
Getting Around
Knoxville, TN
$46
Tbilisi
$22 52.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,811 in Knoxville, TN and $677 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 415% 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: $75.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $233 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
06:20 6:20 AM
14:20 2:20 PM
8 h ahead of Knoxville, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
190,740
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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Knoxville, TN Tbilisi 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Knoxville, TN
  • 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
Knoxville, TN vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Knoxville, TN or Tbilisi?
Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Knoxville, TN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Knoxville, TN or in Tbilisi?
Average pay runs 415% higher in Knoxville, TN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Knoxville, TN compared to Tbilisi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,811 in Knoxville, TN versus $677 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Knoxville, TN or in Tbilisi?
Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Knoxville, TN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Knoxville, TN and in Tbilisi?
Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $75.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Knoxville, TN or in Tbilisi?
At $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $2,576 in Knoxville, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Knoxville, TN or Tbilisi?
Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,270 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.
How safe is Knoxville, TN compared to Tbilisi?
Safety-wise, Knoxville, TN 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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