Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,278 a month against $1,683 in San Francisco, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,683

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,683 in San Francisco versus $1,278 in Tbilisi.

San Francisco $1,683
Tbilisi $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,682 in San Francisco versus $2,021 in Tbilisi.

San Francisco $2,682
Tbilisi $2,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,680 in San Francisco versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

San Francisco $3,680
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in San Francisco is roughly 32% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Francisco is 24% above, Tbilisi is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 ₡4,345

$11.62 ₾30.10

-16.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.6 ₡27.7K

$38.41 ₾99.5

60.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 ₡4,878

$9.74 ₾25.22

11.40%

Cappuccino

$4.48 ₡2,015

$3.56 ₾9.22

25.84%

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

$1.36 ₡611

$1.08 ₾2.80

25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₡798

$0.56 ₾1.46

216.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 ₡1,441

$2.73 ₾7.06

17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ₡1,958

$3.13 ₾8.09

38.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,077

$2.14 ₾5.55

11.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,386

$0.75 ₾1.95

310.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 ₡1,142

$1.80 ₾4.66

41.11%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,586

$2.80 ₾7.26

26.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 ₡4,898

$9.43 ₾24.43

15.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,641

$7.00 ₾18.12

47.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 ₡6,211

$12.69 ₾32.86

8.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 ₡2,344

$1.63 ₾4.22

219.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₡735

$1.84 ₾4.78

-11.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,159

$1.97 ₾5.09

143.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,775

$2.47 ₾6.39

59.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,745

$0.75 ₾1.95

417.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,621

$0.67 ₾1.74

437.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡500

$1.41 ₾3.66

-21.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₡1,444

$0.72 ₾1.86

345.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 ₡2,601

$3.51 ₾9.09

64.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 ₡8,857

$7.89 ₾20.42

149.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,251

$1.70 ₾4.41

63.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₡1,668

$2.37 ₾6.13

56.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ₡603

$0.38 ₾0.98

252.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 ₡29.4K

$15.29 ₾39.60

327.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 ₡769

$1.19 ₾3.08

43.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡800

$0.74 ₾1.91

140.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ₡3,693

$11.89 ₾30.79

-30.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡704

$1.46 ₾3.78

6.85%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$25.0K ₾64.7K

38.30%

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

$41.3K ₡18.6M

$22.8K ₾59.1K

80.90%

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

$77.3 ₡34.8K

$88.1 ₾228

-12.25%

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

$33.59 ₡15.1K

$12.71 ₾32.90

164.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 ₡26.2K

$19.79 ₾51.2

193.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 ₡30.6K

$64.3 ₾166

5.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.63

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,556

$6.65 ₾17.21

18.95%

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

$970 ₡436.2K

$371 ₾961

161.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ₡8.5M

$9,163 ₾23.7K

105.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ₡32.4K

$102 ₾265

-29.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 ₡25.4K

$39.65 ₾103

42.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 ₡29.4K

$118 ₾306

-44.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₡24.9K

$120 ₾310

-53.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$809 ₡364.0K

$690 ₾1,786

17.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 ₡285.0K

$461 ₾1,194

37.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 ₡869.5K

$1,362 ₾3,526

41.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 ₡568.0K

$897 ₾2,323

40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,896

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,567

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$890 ₡400.0K

$710 ₾1,838

25.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.53

-31.21%

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

Last update for San Francisco: 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

San Francisco

$634 37.6%

Tbilisi

$461 36.1% 27.2% $173

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco

$402 23.9%

Tbilisi

$235 18.4% 41.5% $167

Eating Out

San Francisco

$201 11.9%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 4.7% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco

$169 10.1%

Tbilisi

$121 9.4% 28.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco

$112 6.7%

Tbilisi

$171 13.4% 52.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco

$84 5%

Tbilisi

$78 6.1% 7.4% $6.2

Getting Around

San Francisco

$81 4.8%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 73.3% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $799 in San Francisco and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Francisco pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in San Francisco vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

15:03 3:03 PM

10 h ahead of San Francisco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,923

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Francisco Tbilisi 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

San Francisco
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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 Francisco vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in San Francisco. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in San Francisco, 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: $799 in San Francisco versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 77% less than in San Francisco. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $989 in San Francisco versus $375 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Tbilisi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 24% less than in San Francisco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.