Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Cartago

For one person, living costs are similar in Tbilisi and in Cartago: $1,266 and $1,281 a month, rent and utilities included.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,266
/mo nomad
Cartago
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,281
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Cartago

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,281 in Cartago, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,266
  • Cartago $1,281

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,972 in Cartago, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,007
  • Cartago $1,972

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,663 in Cartago, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,749
  • Cartago $2,663

Tbilisi is about 1% cheaper than Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Cartago are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Cartago 5% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Cartago
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.34 ₾29.35
$7.58 COP 24.1K
49.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.05 ₾101
$37.20 COP 118.3K
4.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.63 ₾24.93
$8.47 COP 26.9K
13.70%
Cappuccino
$3.46 ₾8.96
$1.54 COP 4,884
124.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 ₾2.82
$1.28 COP 4,063
-14.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₾1.62
$0.83 COP 2,634
-24.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.77 ₾7.17
$3.10 COP 9,869
-10.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 ₾8.04
$3.66 COP 11.7K
-15.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Cartago
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 ₾5.81
$1.60 COP 5,088
40.62%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.08
$1.88 COP 5,973
-57.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 ₾4.55
$1.49 COP 4,751
18.12%
Eggs
$2.75 ₾7.11
$2.93 COP 9,334
-6.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.39 ₾24.32
$6.58 COP 20.9K
42.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.66 ₾17.23
$7.11 COP 22.6K
-6.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.92 ₾33.46
$9.93 COP 31.6K
30.11%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$3.57 COP 11.4K
-53.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 ₾4.65
$1.32 COP 4,200
36.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 ₾4.97
$1.74 COP 5,530
10.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.41 ₾6.24
$1.63 COP 5,184
47.85%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 ₾2.23
$1.42 COP 4,522
-39.44%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 ₾1.80
$1.50 COP 4,758
-54.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$1.08 COP 3,443
29.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₾1.85
$1.03 COP 3,261
-31.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₾9.08
$3.69 COP 11.7K
-4.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.61 ₾19.69
$13.12 COP 41.7K
-42.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₾4.21
$1.50 COP 4,756
8.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 ₾5.98
$2.45 COP 7,794
-5.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Cartago
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$1.02 COP 3,244
-63.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.67 ₾40.57
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$0.79 COP 2,524
44.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
$2.27 COP 7,230
-65.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.86 ₾30.71
$8.40 COP 26.7K
41.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ₾3.62
$1.32 COP 4,211
6.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K ₾64.2K
$28.0K COP 89.1M
-11.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.9K ₾56.6K
$34.6K COP 110.2M
-36.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Cartago
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.1 ₾231
$110 COP 349.3K
-18.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.21 ₾34.19
$13.23 COP 42.1K
-0.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.76 ₾51.2
$30.26 COP 96.2K
-34.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Cartago
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 ₾168
$42.32 COP 134.6K
53.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.02 ₾49.25
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.57 ₾17.02
$8.24 COP 26.2K
-20.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Cartago
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$377 ₾975
$701 COP 2.2M
-46.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.8K ₾28.0K
$6,430 COP 20.5M
67.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Cartago
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 ₾265
$77.8 COP 247.3K
31.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.70 ₾103
$55.1 COP 175.4K
-28.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 ₾305
$127 COP 403.0K
-7.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 ₾320
$111 COP 351.7K
11.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Cartago
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$666 ₾1,724
$645 COP 2.1M
3.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$449 ₾1,163
$509 COP 1.6M
-11.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 ₾3,325
$1,041 COP 3.3M
23.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,303
$970 COP 3.1M
-8.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,425 ₾6,277
$1,999 COP 6.4M
21.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,380 ₾3,574
$1,803 COP 5.7M
-23.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Cartago
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$680 ₾1,760
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
11.58
8.98%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$449
Cartago
$509 13.3% $60
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Cartago
$241 3.1% $7.2
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$188
Cartago
$136 27.8% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Cartago
$167 3.4% $5.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Cartago
$153 25.6% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Cartago
$59 24.7% $19
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Cartago
$16 * 27% $6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $645 in Cartago. 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 $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $37.00 in Cartago. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $241 in Cartago – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇨🇴 Cartago
🕒 Local time
13:35 1:35 PM
04:35 4:35 AM
9 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
135,365
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Cartago 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cartago cheaper than Tbilisi?
Yes – Cartago is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $1,921 in Cartago. 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 Tbilisi, 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 Tbilisi and in Cartago?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Tbilisi and $1,281 in Cartago. That's a gap of about 1%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $701 in Cartago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Tbilisi or in Cartago?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Cartago at $1,281. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tbilisi or Cartago more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Tbilisi or Cartago?
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 Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cartago makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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