Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Arenal

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,673 in Arenal, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Arenal
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Arenal Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Arenal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Arenal

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 Arenal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $1,673 in Arenal.

Tbilisi $1,266
Arenal $1,673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $2,631 in Arenal.

Tbilisi $2,007
Arenal $2,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $3,589 in Arenal.

Tbilisi $2,749
Arenal $3,589

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 24% less than in Arenal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 6% below, Arenal is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$12.02 ₡5,402

-5.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$60.8 ₡27.3K

-35.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.93

$11.74 ₡5,277

-17.97%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.96

$4.53 ₡2,034

-23.62%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$2.75 ₡1,235

-60.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$1.94 ₡870

-67.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$3.34 ₡1,500

-17.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$4.34 ₡1,951

-28.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$2.31 ₡1,037

-2.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.08

$3.14 ₡1,411

-74.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$2.50 ₡1,125

-29.60%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$3.46 ₡1,554

-20.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$10.58 ₡4,753

-11.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$10.24 ₡4,600

-34.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.46

$14.10 ₡6,337

-8.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$5.16 ₡2,317

-67.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.60 ₡718

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$4.62 ₡2,076

-58.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$3.79 ₡1,702

-36.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$3.84 ₡1,724

-77.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$3.71 ₡1,669

-81.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.08 ₡486

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$3.17 ₡1,424

-77.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$5.82 ₡2,616

-39.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$19.68 ₡8,841

-61.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$2.80 ₡1,257

-41.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$3.62 ₡1,628

-36.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.40 ₡627

-73.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.50 ₡1,125

-54.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.57 ₡707

-49.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.71

$8.48 ₡3,812

39.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.58 ₡708

-11.39%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$22.1K ₡9.9M

12.06%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-38.65%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$94.3 ₡42.4K

-5.46%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-63.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.2

$59.2 ₡26.6K

-66.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$78.2 ₡35.2K

-17.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.25

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$7.51 ₡3,373

-12.52%

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

$377 ₾975

$989 ₡444.4K

-61.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾28.0K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-36.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$72.0 ₡32.3K

41.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$57.0 ₡25.6K

-30.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$131 ₡59.0K

-10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$131 ₡58.8K

-5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$796 ₡357.7K

-16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$570 ₡256.2K

-21.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,325

$1,638 ₡736.2K

-21.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$1,091 ₡490.3K

-18.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,277

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,574

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

8.62

46.40%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arenal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Arenal

$570 34.1% 26.9% $121

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Arenal

$398 23.8% 70.4% $165

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Arenal

$230 13.7% 22.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Arenal

$176 10.5% 2.1% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Arenal

$189 11.3% 55.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Arenal

$93 5.6% 19.4% $15

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Arenal

$16 * 1% 28.3% $6.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $796 in Arenal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $61.0 in Arenal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $398 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇨🇷 Arenal

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

03:35 3:35 AM

10 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

2,300

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Arenal 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Arenal

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 Arenal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Tbilisi and $2,509 in Arenal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $666 in Tbilisi versus $796 in Arenal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $377 in Tbilisi versus $989 in Arenal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $61.0 in Arenal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $1,673 in Arenal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Arenal. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tbilisi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arenal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Arenal 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 32% less than in Arenal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.