Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Chicago, IL $5,999

Tbilisi is about 58% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Chicago, IL is 123% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$20.71 $20.71

-43.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$89.2 $89.2

-57.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$13.19 $13.19

-26.76%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$5.66 $5.66

-36.93%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.64 $2.64

-59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.28 $2.28

-75.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$6.87 $6.87

-61.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$8.84 $8.84

-65.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.25 $1.25

73.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$3.72 $3.72

-78.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$5.39 $5.39

-67.72%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$4.74 $4.74

-40.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$13.84 $13.84

-32.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$14.40 $14.40

-54.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$18.38 $18.38

-29.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$5.22 $5.22

-67.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.98 $1.98

-6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$4.06 $4.06

-51.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$4.97 $4.97

-51.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.67 $2.67

-69.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.66 $2.66

-72.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.24 $2.24

-40.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$3.13 $3.13

-75.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$13.82 $13.82

-74.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$14.88 $14.88

-48.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$3.51 $3.51

-31.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.43 $2.43

-83.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$73.5 $73.5

-79.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.18 $3.18

-64.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.39 $1.39

-43.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$25.03 $25.03

-52.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.20 $1.20

20.83%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-29.86%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

-16.26%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$194 $194

-54.33%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$69.5 $69.5

-81.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$61.6 $61.6

-68.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$47.90 $47.90

33.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$27.34 $27.34

-30.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$17.81 $17.81

-60.02%

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

$375 ₾971

$1,794 $1,794

-79.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-67.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$67.0 $67.0

54.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$52.1 $52.1

-24.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$102 $102

15.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$144 $144

-15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$2,526 $2,526

-72.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$1,578 $1,578

-71.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$4,738 $4,738

-71.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$2,693 $2,693

-66.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$4,190 $4,190

-45.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$2,768 $2,768

-51.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$4,931 $4,931

-86.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.81

85.32%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 250% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 91.2% $213

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 81% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 4.6% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 168% $204

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 6.7% $5.2

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 326% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 7.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $447 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:52 8:52 PM

11:52 11:52 AM

9 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

2,746,388

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Chicago, IL 9,570 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 139% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 91% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,269 in Tbilisi to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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