Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merced, CA and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,556 in Merced, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,556

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,556 in Merced, CA versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Merced, CA $2,556
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,713 in Merced, CA versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Merced, CA $3,713
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,870 in Merced, CA versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Merced, CA $4,870
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Merced, CA is roughly 101% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Merced, CA is 88% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 $17.37

$11.63 ₾30.07

49.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.27 $40.27

$37.83 ₾97.8

6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$9.66 ₾24.98

23.29%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$3.57 ₾9.24

62.18%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.08 ₾2.78

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.56 ₾1.45

162.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.95 $8.95

$2.62 ₾6.78

241.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 $10.02

$3.04 ₾7.85

229.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.17 ₾5.60

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.35 $4.35

$0.80 ₾2.06

443.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.74 ₾4.51

132.18%

Eggs

$5.82 $5.82

$2.83 ₾7.31

105.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$9.31 ₾24.07

107.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.35 $14.35

$6.52 ₾16.85

120.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.51 $21.51

$12.95 ₾33.50

66.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.68 ₾4.33

158.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.85 ₾4.79

4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$1.97 ₾5.10

186.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.42 ₾6.25

126.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$0.82 ₾2.11

329.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$0.74 ₾1.91

309.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.34 ₾3.47

75.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.77 ₾2.00

231.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$3.57 ₾9.24

230.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 $15.91

$7.67 ₾19.83

107.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.70 ₾4.39

42.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.40 ₾6.21

37.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.40 ₾1.05

285.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 $61.1

$15.23 ₾39.38

301.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.14 ₾2.95

165.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.78 ₾2.02

117.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.85 $26.85

$11.83 ₾30.58

126.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.45 ₾3.75

-8.28%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

48.30%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

16.17%

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

$240 $240

$88.8 ₾230

169.97%

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

$29.53 $29.53

$13.12 ₾33.93

125.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 $84.6

$19.67 ₾50.9

330.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 $33.09

$64.1 ₾166

-48.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.86 $13.86

$19.04 ₾49.24

-27.21%

Cinema Ticket

$16.14 $16.14

$7.12 ₾18.42

126.69%

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

$1,870 $1,870

$375 ₾971

397.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.2K $39.2K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

274.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 $60.7

$104 ₾268

-41.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.26 ₾102

32.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$117 ₾303

-13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$122 ₾315

-0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 $1,641

$695 ₾1,798

136.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 $1,102

$451 ₾1,167

144.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$1,355 ₾3,504

45.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 $1,889

$906 ₾2,343

108.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,939 $2,939

$2,295 ₾5,934

28.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,932 $2,932

$1,345 ₾3,478

117.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,357 $3,357

$664 ₾1,718

405.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

12.62

-49.60%

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

Last update for Merced, CA: 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

Merced, CA

$1.1K 43.1%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 59% $650

Groceries & Markets

Merced, CA

$480 18.8%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 51.3% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merced, CA

$354 13.9%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 65.6% $232

Eating Out

Merced, CA

$325 12.7%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 41.3% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Merced, CA

$151 5.9%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 13.6% $21

Getting Around

Merced, CA

$79 3.1%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 72.2% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Merced, CA

$65 2.6%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 19.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Merced, CA and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merced, CA pays about 5.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $40 in Merced, CA vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

12 h ahead of Merced, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,316

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 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 November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

GEL to USD in detail →

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Merced, CA Tbilisi 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Merced, CA
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

Merced, CA vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,556 in Merced, CA and $1,269 in Tbilisi, so Tbilisi is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Merced, CA is about 5.1 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: $1,641 in Merced, CA versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,870 in Merced, CA versus $375 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Merced, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,556 in Merced, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Merced, CA. 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 50% less than in Merced, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.