Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sterling and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,814 in Sterling, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Sterling
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Sterling Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Sterling

🇺🇸 United States

$2,814

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,814 per month in Sterling vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Sterling $2,814
Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $4,314 per month in Sterling vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Sterling $4,314
Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $5,814 per month in Sterling vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Sterling $5,814
Tbilisi $2,763

Sterling costs about 122% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sterling sits 107% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 $18.81

$11.63 ₾30.07

61.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$37.83 ₾97.8

99.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$9.66 ₾24.98

23.60%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$3.57 ₾9.24

70.03%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.08 ₾2.78

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.56 ₾1.45

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.62 ₾6.78

108.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.04 ₾7.85

157.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.17 ₾5.60

-49.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$0.80 ₾2.06

407.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$1.74 ₾4.51

197.70%

Eggs

$5.48 $5.48

$2.83 ₾7.31

93.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$9.31 ₾24.07

83.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 $14.76

$6.52 ₾16.85

126.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$12.95 ₾33.50

44.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$1.68 ₾4.33

231.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.85 ₾4.79

23.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.97 ₾5.10

152.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.42 ₾6.25

137.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$0.82 ₾2.11

259.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$0.74 ₾1.91

429.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.34 ₾3.47

76.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.77 ₾2.00

258.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.03 $10.03

$3.57 ₾9.24

180.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 $13.88

$7.67 ₾19.83

80.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.70 ₾4.39

31.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.40 ₾6.21

140.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 $5.08

$0.40 ₾1.05

1170.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.14 ₾2.95

168.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.78 ₾2.02

91.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.06 $22.06

$11.83 ₾30.58

86.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.45 ₾3.75

-28.28%

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

$34.9K $34.9K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

41.95%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

14.07%

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

$156 $156

$88.8 ₾230

75.63%

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

$50.3 $50.3

$13.12 ₾33.93

283.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.1 $78.1

$19.67 ₾50.9

297.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.14 $29.14

$64.1 ₾166

-54.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$18.21 $18.21

$7.12 ₾18.42

155.76%

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

$1,890 $1,890

$375 ₾971

403.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K $32.0K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

205.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$104 ₾268

-48.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 $45.89

$39.26 ₾102

16.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$117 ₾303

-26.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$122 ₾315

-13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 $1,245

$695 ₾1,798

79.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 $1,503

$451 ₾1,167

233.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 $2,010

$1,355 ₾3,504

48.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$906 ₾2,343

215.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,292 $3,292

$2,295 ₾5,934

43.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,321 $2,321

$1,345 ₾3,478

72.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,746 $3,746

$664 ₾1,718

463.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

12.62

-47.46%

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

Last update for Sterling: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sterling

$1.5K 53.4%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 70% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Sterling

$475 16.9%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 50.8% $241

Eating Out

Sterling

$324 11.5%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 41.2% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sterling

$284 10.1%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 57.2% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Sterling

$131 4.7%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 31.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Sterling

$66 2.3%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 19.4% $13

Getting Around

Sterling

$31 * 1.1%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 29% $8.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,245 in Sterling 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 Sterling are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Sterling versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $475 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sterling

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

00:18 12:18 AM

10 h ahead of Sterling

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,782

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 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 November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

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

GEL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Sterling Tbilisi 9,670 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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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

Sterling vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sterling costs about 122% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,221 per month in Sterling 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 $1,245 in Sterling.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,814 in Sterling and $1,269 in Tbilisi. That makes Tbilisi about 55% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,890 per month in Sterling and $375 in Tbilisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Sterling at $2,814. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sterling it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Sterling makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.