Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,572 in San Francisco versus $1,191 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,409 in San Francisco versus $1,856 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in San Francisco versus $2,522 in Tbilisi.

Living in San Francisco is roughly 32% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Francisco is 18% above, Tbilisi is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.84 ₡4,862

$10.91 ₾28.56

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 ₡27.2K

$43.19 ₾113

40.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 ₡4,339

$8.53 ₾22.31

13.48%

Cappuccino

$3.95 ₡1,772

$2.99 ₾7.81

32.11%

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

$2.00 ₡897

$0.81 ₾2.12

146.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₡711

$0.42 ₾1.09

278.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 ₡1,368

$2.16 ₾5.65

41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 ₡2,111

$2.88 ₾7.52

63.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ₡911

$1.94 ₾5.08

4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 ₡1,284

$0.68 ₾1.77

320.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 ₡957

$1.85 ₾4.83

15.68%

Eggs

$2.95 ₡1,321

$2.53 ₾6.62

16.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 ₡4,402

$7.53 ₾19.69

30.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 ₡4,042

$6.26 ₾16.39

43.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 ₡6,107

$9.59 ₾25.09

42.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 ₡2,077

$1.16 ₾3.04

299.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₡649

$1.64 ₾4.29

-11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 ₡1,869

$1.88 ₾4.93

121.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 ₡1,576

$2.23 ₾5.84

57.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,544

$0.70 ₾1.83

391.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,431

$0.64 ₾1.68

398.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡455

$1.18 ₾3.09

-13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₡1,316

$0.70 ₾1.83

320.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 ₡2,369

$2.97 ₾7.78

77.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.96 ₡9,849

$7.43 ₾19.45

195.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.54 ₾4.03

62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,294

$2.28 ₾5.98

26.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₡424

$0.36 ₾0.93

163.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.73 ₾38.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 ₡797

$1.42 ₾3.71

25.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡824

$0.69 ₾1.81

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.78 ₡3,487

$7.27 ₾19.02

7.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₡632

$1.09 ₾2.86

29.36%

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

$38.4K ₡17.2M

$18.3K ₾47.9K

109.58%

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

$32.8K ₡14.7M

$20.5K ₾53.6K

60.21%

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

$93.5 ₡41.9K

$74.4 ₾195

25.78%

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

$25.44 ₡11.4K

$11.71 ₾30.63

117.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.88 ₡17.9K

$17.60 ₾46.06

126.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 ₡25.1K

$60.3 ₾158

-7.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.08 ₡10.8K

$16.29 ₾42.63

47.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.03 ₡4,498

$6.51 ₾17.03

54.07%

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

$563 ₡252.5K

$269 ₾704

109.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$5,154 ₾13.5K

149.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 ₡28.4K

$77.1 ₾202

-17.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 ₡22.9K

$43.48 ₾114

17.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡56.6K

$118 ₾310

6.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡48.9K

$113 ₾295

-3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 ₡341.8K

$709 ₾1,856

7.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ₡266.2K

$465 ₾1,215

27.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ₡677.6K

$1,316 ₾3,442

14.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$968 ₡433.8K

$767 ₾2,007

26.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,492 ₾6,522

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,442 ₾3,773

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 ₾1,735

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.89

-14.47%

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

Last update for San Francisco: July 28, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in San Francisco and $709 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in San Francisco vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $204 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

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

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 32% 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.

You'd need roughly $2,358 in San Francisco and $1,787 in Tbilisi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $762 in San Francisco versus $709 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $563 in San Francisco versus $269 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $61.0 in San Francisco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,191 in Tbilisi versus $1,572 in San Francisco, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in San Francisco. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,191 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Francisco 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 32% less than in San Francisco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.