Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiga and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiga: $1,207 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tbilisi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Shiga, Japan
Tbilisi, Georgia
Shiga
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,207
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Shiga vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Shiga $1,207
  • Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $1,897 per month in Shiga vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Shiga $1,897
  • Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $2,588 per month in Shiga vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Shiga $2,588
  • Tbilisi $2,763

Shiga is about 5% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shiga and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Shiga 11% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shiga
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.19 ¥975
$11.63 ₾30.07
-46.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.73 ¥4,998
$37.83 ₾97.8
-16.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.96 ¥781
$9.66 ₾24.98
-48.65%
Cappuccino
$2.95 ¥465
$3.57 ₾9.24
-17.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ¥206
$1.08 ₾2.78
21.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ¥110
$0.56 ₾1.45
25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.76 ¥435
$2.62 ₾6.78
5.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ¥556
$3.04 ₾7.85
16.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shiga
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 ¥202
$2.17 ₾5.60
-41.01%
White Bread (500g)
$1.24 ¥195
$0.80 ₾2.06
55.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.89 ¥613
$1.74 ₾4.51
123.56%
Eggs
$2.04 ¥321
$2.83 ₾7.31
-27.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.45 ¥1,488
$9.31 ₾24.07
1.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 ¥1,448
$6.52 ₾16.85
40.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.48 ¥2,911
$12.95 ₾33.50
42.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.44 ¥541
$1.68 ₾4.33
104.76%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 ¥320
$1.85 ₾4.79
9.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 ¥322
$1.97 ₾5.10
3.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.97 ¥625
$2.42 ₾6.25
64.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 ¥239
$0.82 ₾2.11
85.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 ¥179
$0.74 ₾1.91
54.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ¥215
$1.34 ₾3.47
1.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 ¥137
$0.77 ₾2.00
12.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97 ¥625
$3.57 ₾9.24
11.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.77 ¥1,539
$7.67 ₾19.83
27.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 ¥300
$1.70 ₾4.39
11.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 ¥492
$2.40 ₾6.21
30.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Shiga
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.16 ¥183
$0.40 ₾1.05
190.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.2 ¥8,854
$15.23 ₾39.38
269.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ¥609
$1.14 ₾2.95
238.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.20 ¥504
$0.78 ₾2.02
310.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.98 ¥3,463
$11.83 ₾30.58
85.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 ¥172
$1.45 ₾3.75
-24.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.7K ¥3.6M
$24.6K ₾63.6K
-7.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.3K ¥2.4M
$22.3K ₾57.8K
-31.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shiga
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 ¥21.6K
$88.8 ₾230
54.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.58 ¥3,872
$13.12 ₾33.93
87.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.76 ¥2,954
$19.67 ₾50.9
-4.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shiga
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.0 ¥8,194
$64.1 ₾166
-18.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.04 ₾49.24
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.55 ¥1,977
$7.12 ₾18.42
76.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shiga
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$697 ¥109.9K
$375 ₾971
85.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.4K ¥2.1M
$10.5K ₾27.1K
27.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shiga
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.59 ¥7,654
$104 ₾268
-53.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.84 ¥4,858
$39.26 ₾102
-21.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.3 ¥11.6K
$117 ₾303
-37.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.1 ¥14.2K
$122 ₾315
-25.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shiga
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$551 ¥86.8K
$695 ₾1,798
-20.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$337 ¥53.0K
$451 ₾1,167
-25.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$998 ¥157.1K
$1,355 ₾3,504
-26.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$727 ¥114.5K
$906 ₾2,343
-19.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,617 ¥727.2K
$2,295 ₾5,934
101.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,022 ¥318.4K
$1,345 ₾3,478
50.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shiga
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,210 ¥190.7K
$664 ₾1,718
82.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.21
12.62
-82.49%

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

Last update for Shiga: 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
Shiga
$337
Tbilisi
$451 34% $114
Groceries & Markets
Shiga
$294
Tbilisi
$234 20.4% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shiga
$180
Tbilisi
$122 32.6% $59
Eating Out
Shiga
$129
Tbilisi
$191 48.1% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Shiga
$109
Tbilisi
$172 57.3% $63
Getting Around
Shiga
$81
Tbilisi
$22 72.9% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Shiga
$77
Tbilisi
$78 1.5% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $551 in Shiga 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 run about 82% higher in Shiga, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Shiga versus $38 in Tbilisi. Groceries tell a different story – $294 in Shiga vs $234 in Tbilisi – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Shiga
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
12:39 12:39 PM
07:39 7:39 AM
5 h behind Shiga
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,836
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Shiga Tbilisi 7,580 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Shiga
  • 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
Shiga vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Shiga and in Tbilisi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Shiga, $1,269 in Tbilisi – Shiga comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Shiga compared to Tbilisi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Shiga and $1,904 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Shiga and Tbilisi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Shiga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $551 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Shiga and Tbilisi?
Kindergarten costs $697 per month in Shiga and $375 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Tbilisi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How far does $2,000 go in Shiga compared to Tbilisi?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,207 in Shiga and $1,269 in Tbilisi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Shiga and Tbilisi?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,207 in Shiga to $1,269 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Shiga or Tbilisi safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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