Cost of Living Comparison Between Puntarenas and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Puntarenas and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,021 in Puntarenas versus $1,279 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,588 in Puntarenas versus $2,011 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in Puntarenas versus $2,743 in Tbilisi.

Living in Puntarenas costs roughly 20% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puntarenas 26% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 ₡3,596

$11.43 ₾29.72

-29.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.46 ₡18.1K

$38.16 ₾99.2

6.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 ₡4,320

$9.40 ₾24.45

2.66%

Cappuccino

$4.33 ₡1,940

$3.38 ₾8.78

28.11%

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

$2.50 ₡1,117

$1.04 ₾2.70

140.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡865

$0.60 ₾1.56

221.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 ₡1,473

$2.71 ₾7.05

21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,021

$3.04 ₾7.90

48.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₡927

$2.27 ₾5.90

-8.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₡1,406

$0.79 ₾2.04

297.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₡901

$1.62 ₾4.21

24.07%

Eggs

$2.88 ₡1,288

$2.74 ₾7.13

5.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.17 ₡2,762

$9.30 ₾24.19

-33.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 ₡3,405

$6.79 ₾17.65

12.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ₡5,774

$13.01 ₾33.84

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 ₡1,790

$1.64 ₾4.27

143.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ₡636

$1.83 ₾4.77

-22.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ₡1,060

$1.90 ₾4.94

24.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 ₡1,066

$2.57 ₾6.68

-7.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,073

$0.84 ₾2.19

185.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,074

$0.65 ₾1.70

269.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ₡436

$1.36 ₾3.54

-27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,211

$0.80 ₾2.07

238.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ₡2,230

$3.40 ₾8.85

46.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 ₡3,696

$7.67 ₾19.94

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₡804

$1.68 ₾4.36

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₡1,009

$2.38 ₾6.18

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₡468

$0.39 ₾1.02

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 ₾40.44

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,011

$1.14 ₾2.96

98.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ₡486

$0.74 ₾1.93

47.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.63 ₡3,861

$11.32 ₾29.42

-23.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡651

$1.38 ₾3.60

5.80%

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

$22.2K ₡9.9M

$24.6K ₾63.9K

-9.86%

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

$19.0K ₡8.5M

$22.0K ₾57.2K

-13.77%

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

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$88.7 ₾231

-37.54%

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

$28.96 ₡13.0K

$13.18 ₾34.26

119.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.30 ₡18.5K

$19.68 ₾51.2

109.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.79 ₡12.0K

$68.3 ₾177

-60.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 ₾46.65

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 ₡3,724

$6.42 ₾16.70

29.60%

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

$988 ₡442.4K

$372 ₾967

165.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ₡7.8M

$10.8K ₾28.1K

60.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.33 ₡11.8K

$105 ₾272

-74.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.57 ₡7,863

$38.83 ₾101

-54.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.1K

$115 ₾299

11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.9 ₡24.1K

$122 ₾318

-55.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₡162.7K

$681 ₾1,770

-46.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ₡115.8K

$456 ₾1,185

-43.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₡239.5K

$1,312 ₾3,410

-59.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ₡186.9K

$892 ₾2,321

-53.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,010 ₡451.9K

$2,391 ₾6,216

-57.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 ₡291.7K

$1,425 ₾3,704

-54.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 ₡394.2K

$640 ₾1,663

37.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

12.62

-30.43%

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

Last update for Puntarenas: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $364 in Puntarenas and $681 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puntarenas pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Puntarenas vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $236 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

Puntarenas vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puntarenas wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puntarenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Puntarenas, 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: $364 in Puntarenas versus $681 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,021 per month in Puntarenas versus $1,279 in Tbilisi – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,021 in Puntarenas versus $1,279 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puntarenas but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Puntarenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puntarenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,021 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puntarenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Puntarenas 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 Puntarenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.