Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 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
146

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL.

Tbilisi $1,242
Des Plaines, IL $3,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Tbilisi versus $4,412 in Des Plaines, IL.

Tbilisi $1,962
Des Plaines, IL $4,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,682 in Tbilisi versus $5,750 in Des Plaines, IL.

Tbilisi $2,682
Des Plaines, IL $5,750

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 60% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Des Plaines, IL is 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.46

$20.88 $20.88

-47.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$89.5 $89.5

-57.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$12.87 $12.87

-25.56%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$5.65 $5.65

-36.46%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$2.59 $2.59

-60.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$2.32 $2.32

-72.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

$6.95 $6.95

-60.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

$8.02 $8.02

-60.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$0.95 $0.95

124.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$3.49 $3.49

-78.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$4.23 $4.23

-59.34%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$4.16 $4.16

-33.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$14.67 $14.67

-35.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$13.02 $13.02

-50.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$18.95 $18.95

-31.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$4.75 $4.75

-64.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$1.63 $1.63

12.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$4.16 $4.16

-54.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$4.82 $4.82

-50.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$2.66 $2.66

-68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$2.74 $2.74

-75.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$2.15 $2.15

-33.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$2.41 $2.41

-68.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$10.65 $10.65

-66.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

$14.86 $14.86

-49.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.43

$2.55 $2.55

-32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

$3.53 $3.53

-35.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

$2.02 $2.02

-80.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

$60.8 $60.8

-75.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$3.17 $3.17

-62.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$1.37 $1.37

-43.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.50

$24.93 $24.93

-52.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$1.05 $1.05

34.29%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$35.9K $35.9K

-32.48%

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

$21.7K ₾56.3K

$24.8K $24.8K

-12.43%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$195 $195

-55.05%

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

$13.33 ₾34.55

$60.5 $60.5

-77.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$77.2 $77.2

-74.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

$125 $125

-48.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.86

$40.72 $40.72

-53.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$15.16 $15.16

-56.79%

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

$377 ₾978

$1,545 $1,545

-75.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$23.5K $23.5K

-54.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$65.3 $65.3

56.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$51.0 $51.0

-20.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$101 $101

15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$123 $123

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$2,093 $2,093

-67.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

$1,521 $1,521

-70.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$3,861 $3,861

-66.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$2,536 $2,536

-65.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$3,174 $3,174

-23.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$2,521 $2,521

-44.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$6,220 $6,220

-88.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.77

86.41%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 50.6% 237% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$419 14% 80.2% $186

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$344 11.5% 84.5% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1% 10.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11.1% 176% $212

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Des Plaines, IL

$155 5.2% 99.3% $77

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6% 261% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $675 in Tbilisi and $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 781% 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 $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $419 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

18:54 6:54 PM

9 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

60,675

💱 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 = 2.9 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Des Plaines, IL 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Des Plaines, IL differ by about 147% in total monthly costs ($1,242 vs $3,073 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 781% lower in Des Plaines, IL. 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 $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Des Plaines, IL. 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 $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Des Plaines, IL 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 147% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.