Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiso and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiso: $1,048 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tbilisi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Shiso
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,048
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,270
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,048 per month in Shiso vs $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Shiso $1,048
  • Tbilisi $1,270

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Shiso vs $2,008 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Shiso $1,913
  • Tbilisi $2,008

A family of three spends $2,777 per month in Shiso vs $2,745 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Shiso $2,777
  • Tbilisi $2,745

Shiso is about 18% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shiso and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Shiso 23% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shiso
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.87 ¥1,244
$11.51 ₾29.79
-31.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.0 ¥10.7K
$38.27 ₾99.1
77.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.29 ¥993
$9.80 ₾25.36
-35.82%
Cappuccino
$3.69 ¥584
$3.55 ₾9.19
3.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥132
$1.06 ₾2.74
-21.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 ¥114
$0.62 ₾1.60
16.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.58 ¥407
$2.76 ₾7.16
-6.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 ¥497
$3.00 ₾7.77
5.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shiso
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 ¥240
$2.16 ₾5.59
-29.63%
White Bread (500g)
$3.00 ¥474
$0.76 ₾1.96
294.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.87 ¥769
$1.74 ₾4.51
179.89%
Eggs
$2.19 ¥346
$2.79 ₾7.21
-21.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 ¥1,609
$9.20 ₾23.83
10.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.48 ¥1,023
$6.53 ₾16.89
-0.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$27.01 ¥4,267
$12.81 ₾33.17
110.85%
Apples (1kg)
$5.33 ¥842
$1.67 ₾4.31
219.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.59 ¥409
$1.85 ₾4.79
40.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.06 ¥641
$1.98 ₾5.13
105.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.97 ¥943
$2.51 ₾6.49
137.85%
Potato (1kg)
$4.29 ¥678
$0.87 ₾2.26
393.10%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 ¥411
$0.73 ₾1.89
256.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 ¥218
$1.42 ₾3.67
-2.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥130
$0.72 ₾1.88
15.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.11 ¥650
$3.38 ₾8.74
21.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.66 ¥1,211
$7.84 ₾20.31
-2.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 ¥303
$1.62 ₾4.19
18.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 ¥351
$2.38 ₾6.15
-6.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Shiso
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 ¥216
$0.37 ₾0.96
267.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.90 ¥5,356
$15.52 ₾40.16
118.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.57 ¥564
$1.14 ₾2.94
213.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.88 ¥455
$0.79 ₾2.05
264.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.87 ¥3,297
$11.57 ₾29.96
80.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 ¥202
$1.50 ₾3.87
-14.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K ¥3.6M
$24.6K ₾63.7K
-7.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.0K ¥2.7M
$22.4K ₾57.9K
-24.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shiso
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$144 ¥22.8K
$88.3 ₾228
63.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.93 ¥3,781
$13.08 ₾33.86
82.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.58 ¥2,146
$19.53 ₾50.6
-30.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shiso
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.74 ¥5,805
$64.2 ₾166
-42.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.71 ¥2,167
$19.18 ₾49.66
-28.52%
Cinema Ticket
$4.59 ¥726
$6.99 ₾18.10
-34.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shiso
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$283 ¥44.8K
$373 ₾966
-24.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.6K ¥2.1M
$10.7K ₾27.7K
27.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shiso
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.06 ¥1,589
$103 ₾266
-90.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.87 ¥4,720
$40.48 ₾105
-26.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$33.76 ¥5,334
$116 ₾301
-70.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.7 ¥15.7K
$122 ₾316
-18.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shiso
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$470 ¥74.3K
$677 ₾1,753
-30.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$165 ¥26.0K
$454 ₾1,176
-63.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$862 ¥136.1K
$1,277 ₾3,305
-32.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ¥104.2K
$890 ₾2,304
-25.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,229 ¥668.1K
$2,410 ₾6,238
75.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,769 ¥279.5K
$1,418 ₾3,670
24.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shiso
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$703 ₾1,819
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.78
12.62
-85.90%

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

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Shiso
$368
Tbilisi
$233 36.8% $136
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shiso
$182
Tbilisi
$121 33.6% $61
Accommodation & Living
Shiso
$165
Tbilisi
$454 176% $290
Eating Out
Shiso
$152
Tbilisi
$191 25.7% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Shiso
$78
Tbilisi
$172 120% $94
Getting Around
Shiso
$57
Tbilisi
$22 61.5% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Shiso
$46
Tbilisi
$78 70.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $470 in Shiso versus $677 in Tbilisi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Shiso versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $233 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Shiso
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
11:59 11:59 AM
06:59 6:59 AM
5 h behind Shiso
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,610
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Shiso Tbilisi 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Shiso
  • 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
Shiso vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tbilisi cheaper than Shiso?
Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,572 per month in Shiso and $1,906 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Shiso, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Shiso and in Tbilisi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,048 in Shiso and $1,270 in Tbilisi. That's a gap of about 21%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 118% less in Shiso. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Shiso or in Tbilisi?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shiso, where all-in costs run around $1,048, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Shiso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Shiso or Tbilisi more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Shiso – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Shiso or Tbilisi?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Shiso. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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