Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Charleston, SC

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Charleston, SC $3,314

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $4,834 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Charleston, SC $4,834

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $6,355 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Charleston, SC $6,355

Tbilisi is about 62% cheaper than Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 6% below the global median, while Charleston, SC is 145% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$19.88 $19.88

-42.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$131 $131

-70.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$11.91 $11.91

-19.14%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$5.90 $5.90

-41.36%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$2.91 $2.91

-62.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$2.37 $2.37

-73.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$6.68 $6.68

-58.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$7.88 $7.88

-60.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.15 $1.15

95.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$4.13 $4.13

-80.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$4.57 $4.57

-61.49%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$5.25 $5.25

-47.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$22.51 $22.51

-58.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$14.38 $14.38

-53.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$20.97 $20.97

-38.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$7.97 $7.97

-79.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.86 $1.86

-3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$4.98 $4.98

-61.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$7.09 $7.09

-66.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$5.08 $5.08

-83.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$3.65 $3.65

-81.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$2.85 $2.85

-50.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$3.30 $3.30

-78.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$9.84 $9.84

-64.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$20.33 $20.33

-62.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$2.74 $2.74

-40.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$3.04 $3.04

-24.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.99 $1.99

-81.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$57.8 $57.8

-72.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.06 $3.06

-62.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.23 $1.23

-35.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$31.67 $31.67

-62.55%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

-30.61%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-15.33%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$233 $233

-61.77%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$78.3 $78.3

-83.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$85.8 $85.8

-76.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$45.77 $45.77

41.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$19.74 $19.74

-3.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$14.14 $14.14

-53.54%

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

$377 ₾975

$1,274 $1,274

-70.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

-60.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$78.9 $78.9

29.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$45.52 $45.52

-12.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$114 $114

3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$136 $136

-9.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$2,353 $2,353

-71.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$1,728 $1,728

-74.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$3,610 $3,610

-64.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$2,630 $2,630

-66.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$5,673 $5,673

-57.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$3,048 $3,048

-54.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$4,858 $4,858

-86.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.51

93.86%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Charleston, SC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2% 285% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1% 129% $301

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1% 78.6% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1% 2.2% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Charleston, SC

$397 12% 225% $275

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2% 5.1% $4

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3% 237% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $2,353 in Charleston, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 615% higher in Charleston, SC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $131 in Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $535 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

09:31 9:31 AM

8 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

150,227

💱 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

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Between locations

Tbilisi Charleston, SC 9,990 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Charleston, SC

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 Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC costs about 162% 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 $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $4,970 in Charleston, SC. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $1,274 in Charleston, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 129% more in Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Charleston, SC at $3,314. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,266 versus $3,314 in Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.