Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Mateo, CA and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $4,607 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $40,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

223

Cost of Living Index in San Mateo, CA
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San Mateo, CA Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,607

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,607 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $4,607
Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $6,460 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $6,460
Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $8,313 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $8,313
Tbilisi $2,763

San Mateo, CA costs about 263% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Mateo, CA sits 238% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 $20.32

$11.63 ₾30.07

74.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$37.83 ₾97.8

167.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 $12.89

$9.66 ₾24.98

33.44%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$3.57 ₾9.24

62.46%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.08 ₾2.78

181.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.56 ₾1.45

401.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 $8.35

$2.62 ₾6.78

218.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 $10.14

$3.04 ₾7.85

233.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.17 ₾5.60

-24.42%

White Bread (500g)

$5.95 $5.95

$0.80 ₾2.06

643.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$1.74 ₾4.51

258.05%

Eggs

$7.45 $7.45

$2.83 ₾7.31

163.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 $13.58

$9.31 ₾24.07

45.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.53 $18.53

$6.52 ₾16.85

184.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.67 $19.67

$12.95 ₾33.50

51.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$1.68 ₾4.34

252.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.85 ₾4.79

21.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.97 ₾5.10

106.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$2.42 ₾6.25

253.72%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$0.82 ₾2.11

434.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$0.74 ₾1.91

331.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.34 ₾3.47

125.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.77 ₾2.00

151.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$3.57 ₾9.24

229.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.52 $14.52

$7.67 ₾19.83

89.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.70 ₾4.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.40 ₾6.21

-17.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.40 ₾1.05

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$15.23 ₾39.38

325.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 $4.24

$1.14 ₾2.95

271.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.78 ₾2.02

162.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.45 ₾3.75

6.90%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

11.68%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

17.28%

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

$268 $268

$88.8 ₾230

201.41%

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

$41.40 $41.40

$13.12 ₾33.93

215.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$19.67 ₾50.9

209.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 $81.3

$64.1 ₾166

26.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.60 $9.60

$19.04 ₾49.24

-49.58%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$7.12 ₾18.42

150.00%

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

$3,045 $3,045

$375 ₾971

711.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K $28.6K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

173.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 $62.0

$104 ₾268

-40.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.94 $45.94

$39.26 ₾102

17.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$117 ₾303

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$122 ₾315

12.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,414 $3,414

$695 ₾1,798

391.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,991 $2,991

$451 ₾1,167

562.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,766 $5,766

$1,355 ₾3,504

325.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,683 $4,683

$906 ₾2,343

416.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,613 $9,613

$2,295 ₾5,934

318.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,493 $8,493

$1,345 ₾3,478

531.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,661 $7,661

$664 ₾1,718

1053.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

12.62

-48.26%

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

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Mateo, CA

$3K 64.9%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 84.9% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

San Mateo, CA

$522 11.3%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 55.1% $288

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Mateo, CA

$370 8%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 67.1% $248

Eating Out

San Mateo, CA

$356 7.7%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 46.5% $166

Clothing & Footwear

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.6%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 5.3% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

San Mateo, CA

$117 2.5%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 33% $39

Getting Around

San Mateo, CA

$88 1.9%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 75.1% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,414 in San Mateo, CA versus $695 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 in San Mateo, CA are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in San Mateo, CA versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $522 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

02:57 2:57 AM

11 h ahead of San Mateo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,536

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

San Mateo, CA Tbilisi 11,110 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,607 in San Mateo, CA, $1,269 in Tbilisi – Tbilisi comes out roughly 72% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,910 per month in San Mateo, CA and $1,904 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $3,414 in San Mateo, CA.

Groceries cost about 123% more in San Mateo, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in San Mateo, CA and $38 in Tbilisi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in San Mateo, CA at $4,607. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Mateo, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Mateo, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,269 in Tbilisi to $4,607 in San Mateo, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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