Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,994 per month in Madison, WI vs $1,242 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,994
Tbilisi $1,242

A couple spends around $4,424 per month in Madison, WI vs $1,962 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,424
Tbilisi $1,962

A family of three spends $5,854 per month in Madison, WI vs $2,682 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,854
Tbilisi $2,682

Madison, WI costs about 141% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Madison, WI sits 123% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 $19.62

$10.98 ₾28.46

78.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 $68.0

$38.21 ₾99.0

77.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 $13.07

$9.58 ₾24.84

36.43%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.59 ₾9.31

56.82%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.03 ₾2.66

206.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.63 ₾1.64

301.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$2.74 ₾7.10

158.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$3.17 ₾8.22

159.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.13 ₾5.53

-53.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$0.74 ₾1.91

363.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.72 ₾4.46

140.12%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$2.78 ₾7.21

29.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.92 $14.92

$9.48 ₾24.56

57.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$6.45 ₾16.71

105.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 $20.06

$13.02 ₾33.76

54.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.69 ₾4.37

181.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.84 ₾4.76

-11.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$1.89 ₾4.90

180.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.40 ₾6.22

107.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$0.84 ₾2.17

232.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$0.68 ₾1.75

358.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.42 ₾3.68

54.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.77 ₾2.01

214.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 $10.77

$3.56 ₾9.22

202.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$7.48 ₾19.39

110.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.71 ₾4.43

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.29 ₾5.94

93.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.40 ₾1.04

415.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 $65.5

$15.15 ₾39.27

332.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.19 ₾3.08

233.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.78 ₾2.03

158.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.09 $43.09

$11.77 ₾30.50

266.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.41 ₾3.65

-28.37%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$24.3K ₾62.9K

48.41%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$21.7K ₾56.3K

17.86%

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

$269 $269

$87.6 ₾227

207.16%

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

$52.5 $52.5

$13.33 ₾34.55

294.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.8 $83.8

$19.51 ₾50.6

329.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 $58.4

$64.7 ₾168

-9.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.54 $10.54

$18.85 ₾48.86

-44.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$6.55 ₾16.97

133.13%

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

$1,705 $1,705

$377 ₾978

352.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$10.6K ₾27.5K

116.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 $63.0

$102 ₾265

-38.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 $50.0

$40.36 ₾105

23.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$117 ₾302

-7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$121 ₾314

0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 $1,789

$675 ₾1,749

165.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$451 ₾1,170

248.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,177 $3,177

$1,275 ₾3,305

149.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$883 ₾2,288

190.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,524 $4,524

$2,415 ₾6,259

87.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 $2,489

$1,404 ₾3,640

77.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 $4,383

$706 ₾1,830

520.85%

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 Madison, WI: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.6K 51.1%

Tbilisi

$451 35.8% 71.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$432 14%

Tbilisi

$232 18.4% 46.2% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$405 13.2%

Tbilisi

$120 9.6% 70.3% $285

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$338 11%

Tbilisi

$186 14.8% 44.9% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$154 5%

Tbilisi

$171 13.6% 11.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$89 2.9%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 12.5% $11

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$88 2.9%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 75.1% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Madison, WI versus $675 in Tbilisi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 521% higher in Madison, WI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Madison, WI versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $432 vs $232 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

10:13 10:13 AM

9 h ahead of Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

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 →

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Between locations

Madison, WI Tbilisi 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
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

Madison, WI vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,994 in Madison, WI, $1,242 in Tbilisi – roughly 141% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,491 per month in Madison, WI and $1,863 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 332% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,705 per month in Madison, WI and $377 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,242, than in Madison, WI at $2,994. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madison, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,242 in Tbilisi to $2,994 in Madison, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.