Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Ames, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tbilisi and in Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $2,142 in Ames, IA.

Tbilisi $1,266
Ames, IA $2,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $3,242 in Ames, IA.

Tbilisi $2,007
Ames, IA $3,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $4,342 in Ames, IA.

Tbilisi $2,749
Ames, IA $4,342

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 41% less than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 6% below, Ames, IA is 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$18.13 $18.13

-37.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$52.0 $52.0

-24.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$12.18 $12.18

-20.94%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$4.87 $4.87

-28.95%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$2.60 $2.60

-58.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$2.25 $2.25

-72.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$4.05 $4.05

-31.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$6.81 $6.81

-54.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$0.89 $0.89

152.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$3.55 $3.55

-77.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$3.26 $3.26

-46.01%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$3.34 $3.34

-17.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$10.08 $10.08

-6.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$13.62 $13.62

-51.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$19.05 $19.05

-32.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$5.88 $5.88

-71.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.82 $1.82

-1.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$6.69 $6.69

-71.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$5.22 $5.22

-53.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$4.54 $4.54

-81.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$4.07 $4.07

-83.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$2.32 $2.32

-39.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$2.44 $2.44

-70.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$13.03 $13.03

-73.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$16.11 $16.11

-52.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$2.87 $2.87

-43.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$4.98 $4.98

-53.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.99 $0.99

-62.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$35.57 $35.57

-55.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$5.09 $5.09

-77.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.69 $1.69

-53.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$24.13 $24.13

-50.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.96 $0.96

45.83%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$24.7K $24.7K

0.22%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$25.1K $25.1K

-12.83%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$176 $176

-49.45%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$54.3 $54.3

-75.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$71.2 $71.2

-72.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$69.0 $69.0

-5.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$19.74 $19.74

-3.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$15.97 $15.97

-58.86%

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

$377 ₾975

$1,370 $1,370

-72.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$36.1K $36.1K

-70.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$58.4 $58.4

74.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$44.68 $44.68

-11.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$90.1 $90.1

30.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$105 $105

18.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$1,005 $1,005

-33.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$822 $822

-45.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$1,860 $1,860

-30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$1,505 $1,505

-40.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$2,432 $2,432

-0.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$2,185 $2,185

-36.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$3,597 $3,597

-81.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.41

96.88%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Ames, IA

$822 38.4% 83% $373

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Ames, IA

$436 20.4% 86.7% $203

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Ames, IA

$293 13.7% 56% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Ames, IA

$134 6.3% 22.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Ames, IA

$302 14.1% 147% $180

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Ames, IA

$101 4.7% 29.3% $23

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Ames, IA

$53 2.5% 139% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 429% 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: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $52.0 in Ames, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $436 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

9 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

66,427

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Ames, IA 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Ames, IA

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

Tbilisi vs Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 429% lower in Ames, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $666 in Tbilisi versus $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 127% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $377 in Tbilisi versus $1,370 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. 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, Tbilisi and Ames, IA 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 69% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.