Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, CA and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $36,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, CA
Learn more

Santa Cruz, CA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,325

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $1,266 in Tbilisi.

Santa Cruz, CA $4,325
Tbilisi $1,266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,239 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $2,007 in Tbilisi.

Santa Cruz, CA $6,239
Tbilisi $2,007

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,152 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $2,749 in Tbilisi.

Santa Cruz, CA $8,152
Tbilisi $2,749

Living in Santa Cruz, CA is roughly 242% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz, CA is 220% above, Tbilisi is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$11.34 ₾29.35

120.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$39.05 ₾101

156.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 $15.15

$9.63 ₾24.92

57.32%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$3.46 ₾8.95

65.03%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$1.09 ₾2.82

213.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.63 ₾1.62

265.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$2.77 ₾7.17

183.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 $8.11

$3.10 ₾8.04

161.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.25 ₾5.81

-38.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.73 $4.73

$0.80 ₾2.07

491.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.80 $7.80

$1.76 ₾4.55

343.18%

Eggs

$6.16 $6.16

$2.75 ₾7.11

124.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.59 $26.59

$9.39 ₾24.32

183.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.85 $16.85

$6.66 ₾17.23

153.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 $17.71

$12.92 ₾33.45

37.07%

Apples (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$1.67 ₾4.31

376.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.80 ₾4.65

28.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$1.92 ₾4.97

335.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$2.41 ₾6.24

179.25%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$0.86 ₾2.23

409.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$0.69 ₾1.80

333.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.40 ₾3.62

255.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$0.71 ₾1.85

319.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$3.51 ₾9.08

233.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.52 $24.52

$7.61 ₾19.69

222.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.63 ₾4.21

32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.31 ₾5.98

40.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.37 ₾0.96

437.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$15.67 ₾40.57

311.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.14 ₾2.95

176.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.79 ₾2.05

207.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.55 $40.55

$11.86 ₾30.70

241.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.40 ₾3.62

10.00%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$24.8K ₾64.2K

51.44%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$21.9K ₾56.6K

17.95%

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

$377 $377

$89.1 ₾231

322.82%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$13.21 ₾34.19

346.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$19.76 ₾51.1

239.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.3 $79.3

$64.9 ₾168

22.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.55 $12.55

$19.02 ₾49.24

-34.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.76 $15.76

$6.57 ₾17.02

139.88%

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

$2,455 $2,455

$377 ₾975

551.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$10.8K ₾27.9K

172.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 $66.9

$102 ₾265

-34.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.92 $48.92

$39.70 ₾103

23.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$118 ₾305

-23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$123 ₾320

29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 $3,054

$666 ₾1,724

358.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 $2,471

$449 ₾1,163

450.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,807 $4,807

$1,284 ₾3,324

274.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,164 $4,164

$890 ₾2,303

367.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,919 $7,919

$2,425 ₾6,276

226.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K $11.3K

$1,380 ₾3,573

716.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,511 $5,511

$680 ₾1,760

710.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

12.62

-48.73%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.5K 57.1%

Tbilisi

$449 35.5% 81.8% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, CA

$596 13.8%

Tbilisi

$234 18.5% 60.8% $362

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, CA

$503 11.6%

Tbilisi

$122 9.7% 75.7% $381

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, CA

$392 9.1%

Tbilisi

$188 14.9% 52% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, CA

$165 3.8%

Tbilisi

$172 13.6% 4.6% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, CA

$111 2.6%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 29.5% $33

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2%

Tbilisi

$22 1.8% 74.6% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,054 in Santa Cruz, CA and $666 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz, CA pays 711% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in Santa Cruz, CA vs $39.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $596 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

01:26 1:26 AM

11 h ahead of Santa Cruz, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,220

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz, CA Tbilisi 11,170 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz, 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

Santa Cruz, CA vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 242% lower than in Santa Cruz, CA. 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 711% higher in Santa Cruz, CA, 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: $3,054 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $666 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $100 in Santa Cruz, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,325 per month in Santa Cruz, CA versus $1,266 in Tbilisi – a 242% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz, CA. 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 $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santa Cruz, CA 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 242% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.