Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Carolina

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $2,268 in Carolina, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Carolina
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Carolina Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Carolina

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Carolina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $2,268 in Carolina.

Tbilisi $1,242
Carolina $2,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Tbilisi versus $3,156 in Carolina.

Tbilisi $1,962
Carolina $3,156

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,682 in Tbilisi versus $4,043 in Carolina.

Tbilisi $2,682
Carolina $4,043

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 45% less than in Carolina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Carolina is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.46

$13.57 $13.57

-19.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$54.2 $54.2

-29.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$10.15 $10.15

-5.62%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$3.20 $3.20

12.19%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$2.92 $2.92

-64.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$1.70 $1.70

-62.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

$3.07 $3.07

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

$4.98 $4.98

-36.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$2.11 $2.11

0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$3.34 $3.34

-77.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$1.69 $1.69

1.78%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$4.62 $4.62

-39.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$6.95 $6.95

36.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$8.41 $8.41

-23.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$12.79 $12.79

1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$3.13 $3.13

-46.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$2.50 $2.50

-26.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$2.57 $2.57

-26.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$3.78 $3.78

-36.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$3.02 $3.02

-72.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$3.29 $3.29

-79.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$2.00 $2.00

-29.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$1.99 $1.99

-61.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$9.93 $9.93

-64.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

$17.81 $17.81

-58.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.43

$3.02 $3.02

-43.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

$4.88 $4.88

-53.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

$3.09 $3.09

-87.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

$40.08 $40.08

-62.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.50

$50.5 $50.5

-76.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$1.18 $1.18

19.49%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$40.3K $40.3K

-39.77%

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

$21.7K ₾56.3K

$30.2K $30.2K

-28.06%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$594 $594

-85.26%

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

$13.33 ₾34.55

$50.1 $50.1

-73.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$81.5 $81.5

-76.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

$10.74 $10.74

502.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.86

$30.31 $30.31

-37.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$8.07 $8.07

-18.84%

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

$377 ₾978

$492 $492

-23.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$9,564 $9,564

11.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$89.7 $89.7

14.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$25.25 $25.25

59.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$91.6 $91.6

27.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$88.9 $88.9

36.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$1,068 $1,068

-36.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

$740 $740

-39.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$1,925 $1,925

-33.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$1,227 $1,227

-28.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$3,537 $3,537

-31.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$2,292 $2,292

-38.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$1,974 $1,974

-64.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.23

102.57%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Carolina: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

Carolina

$740 32.9% 63.9% $289

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

Carolina

$349 15.5% 50.1% $116

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

Carolina

$221 9.8% 18.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

Carolina

$133 5.9% 22.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

Carolina

$726 32.3% 503% $606

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Carolina

$27 1.2% 65.4% $51

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Carolina

$52 * 2.3% 140% $31

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 $675 in Tbilisi and $1,068 in Carolina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carolina pays 180% 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: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $54.0 in Carolina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $349 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇵🇷 Carolina

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

04:17 4:17 AM

8 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

138,304

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Carolina 10,270 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Carolina

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 Carolina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Carolina. 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 180% lower in Carolina. 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: $675 in Tbilisi versus $1,068 in Carolina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Carolina. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $54.0 in Carolina. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $2,268 in Carolina, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Carolina. 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 $1,242 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Carolina 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 83% less than in Carolina. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.