Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,618 in Monterrey versus $1,197 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,868 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,552 in Monterrey versus $2,538 in Tbilisi.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 35% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Tbilisi is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$235

$10.82 ₾28.39

23.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$924

$43.85 ₾115

20.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$177

$8.31 ₾21.80

21.66%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.4

$2.97 ₾7.78

25.59%

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

$1.44 MX$25.31

$0.77 ₾2.01

87.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.60

$0.46 ₾1.20

117.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.81

$2.14 ₾5.63

24.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.6

$2.87 ₾7.52

46.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.19

$1.90 ₾4.99

-12.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.63

$0.71 ₾1.86

283.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.18

$1.91 ₾5.00

2.09%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.71

$2.48 ₾6.52

7.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$179

$7.74 ₾20.29

31.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$156

$6.18 ₾16.21

44.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$242

$9.57 ₾25.12

43.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.3

$1.17 ₾3.06

159.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.60

$1.65 ₾4.34

-15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.34

$1.85 ₾4.84

9.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.37

$2.33 ₾6.11

-11.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.66

$0.71 ₾1.85

226.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.78

$0.67 ₾1.76

280.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.48

$1.19 ₾3.12

26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.93

$0.66 ₾1.72

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.5

$2.92 ₾7.65

45.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$250

$7.69 ₾20.18

85.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.32

$1.59 ₾4.18

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.31 ₾6.06

37.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.54

$0.38 ₾1.01

102.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$717

$14.76 ₾38.72

177.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.81

$1.50 ₾3.92

17.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.39

$0.68 ₾1.77

45.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$182

$7.26 ₾19.04

43.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.55

$1.09 ₾2.87

22.94%

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

$26.6K MX$467.3K

$18.6K ₾48.8K

43.19%

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

$25.6K MX$448.3K

$20.5K ₾53.7K

24.88%

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

$121 MX$2,128

$73.0 ₾192

66.22%

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

$27.40 MX$481

$11.97 ₾31.41

128.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$522

$18.00 ₾47.22

65.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$657

$61.0 ₾160

-38.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$382

$16.52 ₾43.34

31.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$101

$6.70 ₾17.58

-14.18%

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

$348 MX$6,098

$269 ₾705

29.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$157.6K

$5,152 ₾13.5K

74.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,037

$76.5 ₾201

-22.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$735

$43.41 ₾114

-3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,880

$120 ₾316

-11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,249

$111 ₾290

15.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.6K

$687 ₾1,803

29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.3K

$470 ₾1,234

37.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.7K

$1,353 ₾3,550

16.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.2K

$789 ₾2,069

74.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$74.3K

$2,468 ₾6,473

71.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.4K

$1,456 ₾3,818

89.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.9K

$659 ₾1,729

71.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.89

-2.86%

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

Last update for Monterrey: July 11, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Monterrey and $687 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 72% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $44.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $205 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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

Monterrey vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Tbilisi differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,618 vs $1,197 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 72% higher in Monterrey, 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: $889 in Monterrey versus $687 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 $44.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,618 per month in Monterrey versus $1,197 in Tbilisi – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $1,618 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. 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.

Safety-wise, Monterrey 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.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.