Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $33,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,077 per month in San Diego, CA vs $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent included.

San Diego, CA $4,077
Tbilisi $1,266

A couple spends around $6,059 per month in San Diego, CA vs $2,007 in Tbilisi, rent included.

San Diego, CA $6,059
Tbilisi $2,007

A family of three spends $8,041 per month in San Diego, CA vs $2,749 in Tbilisi, rent included.

San Diego, CA $8,041
Tbilisi $2,749

San Diego, CA costs about 222% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Diego, CA sits 202% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$11.34 ₾29.35

117.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 $97.7

$39.05 ₾101

150.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$9.63 ₾24.92

37.59%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$3.46 ₾8.95

72.25%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$1.09 ₾2.82

186.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$0.63 ₾1.62

315.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$2.77 ₾7.17

193.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.11 $11.11

$3.10 ₾8.04

258.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$2.25 ₾5.81

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$5.58 $5.58

$0.80 ₾2.07

597.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.76 ₾4.55

167.05%

Eggs

$6.77 $6.77

$2.75 ₾7.11

146.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$9.39 ₾24.32

82.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 $14.30

$6.66 ₾17.23

114.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.72 $20.72

$12.92 ₾33.45

60.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.67 ₾4.31

176.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.80 ₾4.65

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.92 ₾4.97

125.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.41 ₾6.24

110.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.86 ₾2.23

261.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$0.69 ₾1.80

291.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.40 ₾3.62

51.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.71 ₾1.85

183.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$3.51 ₾9.08

234.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 $16.72

$7.61 ₾19.69

119.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.63 ₾4.21

32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.31 ₾5.98

38.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.37 ₾0.96

567.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 $73.4

$15.67 ₾40.57

368.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.14 ₾2.95

162.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.79 ₾2.05

164.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 $28.38

$11.86 ₾30.70

139.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.40 ₾3.62

10.71%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$24.8K ₾64.2K

49.25%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$21.9K ₾56.6K

17.29%

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

$256 $256

$89.1 ₾231

187.48%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$13.21 ₾34.19

459.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 $84.4

$19.76 ₾51.1

327.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 $72.9

$64.9 ₾168

12.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 $24.09

$19.02 ₾49.24

26.66%

Cinema Ticket

$20.21 $20.21

$6.57 ₾17.02

207.61%

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

$1,968 $1,968

$377 ₾975

422.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

$10.8K ₾27.9K

233.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 $68.4

$102 ₾265

-33.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 $54.7

$39.70 ₾103

37.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$118 ₾305

-3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$123 ₾320

18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 $3,210

$666 ₾1,724

382.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 $2,410

$449 ₾1,163

436.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,499 $5,499

$1,284 ₾3,324

328.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,336 $4,336

$890 ₾2,303

387.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,110 $8,110

$2,425 ₾6,276

234.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,682 $6,682

$1,380 ₾3,573

384.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,975 $4,975

$680 ₾1,760

631.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

12.62

-46.91%

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

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1%

Tbilisi

$449 35.5% 81.4% $2K

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7%

Tbilisi

$234 18.5% 50.8% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2%

Tbilisi

$122 9.7% 70.5% $292

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7%

Tbilisi

$188 14.9% 52.4% $207

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2%

Tbilisi

$172 13.6% 0% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 31.1% $35

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4%

Tbilisi

$22 1.8% 77% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,210 in San Diego, CA versus $666 in Tbilisi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 632% higher in San Diego, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in San Diego, CA versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $475 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

05:03 5:03 AM

11 h ahead of San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

GEL to USD in detail →

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San Diego, CA Tbilisi 11,540 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

San Diego, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,077 in San Diego, CA, $1,266 in Tbilisi – roughly 222% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,116 per month in San Diego, CA and $1,899 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,968 per month in San Diego, CA and $377 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 103% more in San Diego, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in San Diego, CA at $4,077. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Diego, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Diego, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Tbilisi to $4,077 in San Diego, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Diego, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.