Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Normal, IL and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,272 in Normal, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Normal, IL
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Normal, IL Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Normal, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,272

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,272 in Normal, IL versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Normal, IL $2,272
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Normal, IL versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Normal, IL $3,329
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,386 in Normal, IL versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Normal, IL $4,386
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Normal, IL is roughly 79% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Normal, IL is 67% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 $11.32

$11.63 ₾30.07

-2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.63 $49.63

$37.83 ₾97.8

31.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$9.66 ₾24.98

1.76%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$3.57 ₾9.24

40.62%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$1.08 ₾2.78

216.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.56 ₾1.45

169.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.62 ₾6.78

93.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.04 ₾7.85

91.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$2.17 ₾5.60

-65.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 $2.62

$0.80 ₾2.06

227.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.74 ₾4.51

89.08%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$2.83 ₾7.31

32.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 $8.90

$9.31 ₾24.07

-4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$6.52 ₾16.85

95.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.79 $18.79

$12.95 ₾33.50

45.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$1.68 ₾4.34

295.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.85 ₾4.79

-33.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$1.97 ₾5.10

238.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.42 ₾6.25

107.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.82 ₾2.11

296.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$0.74 ₾1.91

333.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.34 ₾3.47

48.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.77 ₾2.00

198.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.32 $11.32

$3.57 ₾9.24

217.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 $10.99

$7.67 ₾19.83

43.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.70 ₾4.39

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.40 ₾6.21

26.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.40 ₾1.05

532.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.1 $91.1

$15.23 ₾39.38

498.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 $5.57

$1.14 ₾2.95

388.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.78 ₾2.02

32.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.02 $18.02

$11.83 ₾30.58

52.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.45 ₾3.75

-38.62%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

13.39%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

18.12%

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

$273 $273

$88.8 ₾230

207.48%

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

$97.9 $97.9

$13.12 ₾33.93

646.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$19.67 ₾50.9

228.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.33 $39.33

$64.1 ₾166

-38.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$11.76 $11.76

$7.12 ₾18.42

65.17%

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

$1,061 $1,061

$375 ₾971

182.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.92 $29.92

$104 ₾268

-71.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.57 $40.57

$39.26 ₾102

3.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 $66.5

$117 ₾303

-43.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$122 ₾315

23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 $974

$695 ₾1,798

40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 $905

$451 ₾1,167

100.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$1,355 ₾3,504

32.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$906 ₾2,343

75.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,690 $9,690

$2,295 ₾5,934

322.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,164 $4,164

$664 ₾1,718

526.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

12.62

-48.10%

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

Last update for Normal, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Normal, IL

$905 39.8%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 50.1% $454

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Normal, IL

$436 19.2%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 72.1% $314

Groceries & Markets

Normal, IL

$390 17.2%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 40% $156

Eating Out

Normal, IL

$237 10.4%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 19.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Normal, IL

$129 5.7%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 33.1% $43

Getting Around

Normal, IL

$112 4.9%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 80.4% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Normal, IL

$63 2.8%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 24.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $974 in Normal, IL and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Normal, IL pays about 6.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Normal, IL vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Normal, IL

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

01:18 1:18 AM

9 h ahead of Normal, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,497

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

GEL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Normal, IL Tbilisi 9,760 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Normal, IL
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

Normal, IL vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Normal, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Normal, IL is about 6.3 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: $974 in Normal, IL versus $695 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 $38 versus $50 in Normal, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,272 per month in Normal, IL versus $1,269 in Tbilisi – Tbilisi is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,272 in Normal, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Normal, IL. 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 44% less than in Normal, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.