Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merrillville, IN and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,278 a month against $2,725 in Merrillville, IN, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Merrillville, IN, United States
Tbilisi, Georgia
Merrillville, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,725
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Merrillville, IN versus $1,278 in Tbilisi.

  • Merrillville, IN $2,725
  • Tbilisi $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,722 in Merrillville, IN versus $2,017 in Tbilisi.

  • Merrillville, IN $3,722
  • Tbilisi $2,017

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,719 in Merrillville, IN versus $2,755 in Tbilisi.

  • Merrillville, IN $4,719
  • Tbilisi $2,755

Living in Merrillville, IN is roughly 113% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Merrillville, IN is 102% above, Tbilisi is 5% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Merrillville, IN
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.29 $15.29
$11.62 ₾30.07
31.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.2 $55.2
$38.41 ₾99.4
43.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.14 $9.14
$9.74 ₾25.20
-6.16%
Cappuccino
$1.98 $1.98
$3.56 ₾9.21
-44.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.08 ₾2.80
37.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 $2.32
$0.56 ₾1.46
314.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.48 $4.48
$2.73 ₾7.05
64.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 $6.13
$3.13 ₾8.09
95.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Merrillville, IN
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.77 $0.77
$2.14 ₾5.55
-64.02%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 $3.08
$0.75 ₾1.95
310.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.60 $4.60
$1.80 ₾4.66
155.56%
Eggs
$4.61 $4.61
$2.80 ₾7.25
64.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.23 $11.23
$9.43 ₾24.41
19.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 $9.28
$7.00 ₾18.10
32.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.61 $21.61
$12.69 ₾32.83
70.29%
Apples (1kg)
$5.99 $5.99
$1.63 ₾4.22
267.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.84 ₾4.77
-40.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$1.97 ₾5.09
130.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.48 $5.48
$2.47 ₾6.39
121.86%
Potato (1kg)
$3.73 $3.73
$0.75 ₾1.95
397.33%
Onion (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$0.67 ₾1.74
552.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.38 $2.38
$1.41 ₾3.66
68.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 $1.23
$0.72 ₾1.86
70.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.43 $11.43
$3.51 ₾9.08
225.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.82 $11.82
$7.89 ₾20.40
49.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.70 ₾4.41
18.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.56 $3.56
$2.37 ₾6.12
50.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Merrillville, IN
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 $1.77
$0.38 ₾0.98
365.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.1 $67.1
$15.29 ₾39.56
339.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.10 $5.10
$1.19 ₾3.08
328.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 $1.82
$0.74 ₾1.91
145.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.04 $49.04
$11.89 ₾30.76
312.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.46 ₾3.77
-32.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K $27.4K
$25.0K ₾64.6K
9.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$22.8K ₾59.1K
16.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Merrillville, IN
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$258 $258
$88.1 ₾228
193.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$55.0 $55.0
$12.71 ₾32.87
332.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.2 $55.2
$19.79 ₾51.2
179.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Merrillville, IN
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.74 $36.74
$64.3 ₾166
-42.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.17 ₾49.59
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.02 $15.02
$6.65 ₾17.20
125.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Merrillville, IN
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,347 $1,347
$371 ₾961
262.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K $15.9K
$9,163 ₾23.7K
73.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Merrillville, IN
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.4 $54.4
$102 ₾264
-46.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.53 $40.53
$39.65 ₾103
2.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 $107
$118 ₾306
-9.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.8 $93.8
$120 ₾310
-21.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Merrillville, IN
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,753 $1,753
$690 ₾1,784
154.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,457 $1,457
$461 ₾1,193
215.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,325 $2,325
$1,362 ₾3,523
70.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,052 $2,052
$897 ₾2,321
128.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,169 $3,169
$2,277 ₾5,891
39.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,247 $2,247
$1,378 ₾3,564
63.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Merrillville, IN
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$710 ₾1,836
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.66
12.53
-46.85%

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

Last update for Merrillville, IN: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Merrillville, IN
$1.5K
Tbilisi
$461 68.3% $996
Groceries & Markets
Merrillville, IN
$387
Tbilisi
$235 39.3% $152
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Merrillville, IN
$369
Tbilisi
$121 67.3% $248
Eating Out
Merrillville, IN
$223
Tbilisi
$191 14.3% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Merrillville, IN
$133
Tbilisi
$171 28.4% $38
Getting Around
Merrillville, IN
$88
Tbilisi
$22 75.5% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Merrillville, IN
$67
Tbilisi
$78 16.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,753 in Merrillville, IN and $690 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55 in Merrillville, IN vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $235 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
17:50 5:50 PM
03:50 3:50 AM
10 h ahead of Merrillville, IN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,444
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 November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.343 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Merrillville, IN Tbilisi 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Merrillville, IN
  • 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
Merrillville, IN vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Merrillville, IN and in Tbilisi?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,725 in Merrillville, IN and $1,278 in Tbilisi, so Tbilisi is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Merrillville, IN compared to Tbilisi?
You’d need roughly $4,087 in Merrillville, IN and $1,918 in Tbilisi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Merrillville, IN and in Tbilisi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,753 in Merrillville, IN versus $690 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Merrillville, IN and Tbilisi?
Childcare runs $1,347 in Merrillville, IN versus $371 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Merrillville, IN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $2,725 in Merrillville, IN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Merrillville, IN. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Merrillville, IN and Tbilisi?
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.
Where should expats move: Merrillville, IN or Tbilisi?
Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Merrillville, IN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Merrillville, IN vs other spots: cost of living compared

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