Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Desamparados

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,689 in Desamparados, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Desamparados
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Desamparados Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Desamparados

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Desamparados

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,689 in Desamparados, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Desamparados $1,689

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,670 in Desamparados, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Desamparados $2,670

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,651 in Desamparados, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Desamparados $3,651

Tbilisi is about 25% cheaper than Desamparados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 6% below the global median, while Desamparados is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$12.26 ₡5,498

-7.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$52.4 ₡23.5K

-25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$11.82 ₡5,303

-18.53%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$4.69 ₡2,101

-26.23%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$2.39 ₡1,072

-54.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$1.98 ₡889

-68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$3.60 ₡1,617

-23.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$4.68 ₡2,097

-33.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$2.42 ₡1,087

-7.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$2.71 ₡1,217

-70.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$2.13 ₡954

-17.37%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$3.88 ₡1,740

-29.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$12.07 ₡5,412

-22.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$10.56 ₡4,736

-36.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$14.00 ₡6,279

-7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$4.90 ₡2,200

-65.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.75 ₡785

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$3.61 ₡1,617

-46.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$3.24 ₡1,454

-25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$3.49 ₡1,564

-75.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$3.33 ₡1,493

-79.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.05 ₡469

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$2.86 ₡1,283

-75.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$5.63 ₡2,524

-37.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$15.39 ₡6,903

-50.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$2.26 ₡1,015

-27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$2.84 ₡1,273

-18.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.32 ₡594

-71.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.25 ₡1,008

-49.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.76 ₡788

-55.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$7.44 ₡3,337

59.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.54 ₡692

-9.09%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$21.5K ₡9.6M

15.31%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$30.9K ₡13.9M

-29.29%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$97.5 ₡43.7K

-8.61%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$34.11 ₡15.3K

-61.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$56.3 ₡25.2K

-64.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$69.1 ₡31.0K

-6.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$7.96 ₡3,571

-17.46%

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

$377 ₾975

$919 ₡412.2K

-59.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$14.9K ₡6.7M

-27.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$76.9 ₡34.5K

32.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-34.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$133 ₡59.5K

-11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$121 ₡54.4K

1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$854 ₡383.1K

-22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$613 ₡275.0K

-26.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$2,068 ₡927.3K

-37.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$1,243 ₡557.3K

-28.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

8.62

46.40%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Desamparados: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Desamparados

$613 36.3% 36.5% $164

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Desamparados

$375 22.2% 60.7% $142

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Desamparados

$235 13.9% 24.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Desamparados

$176 10.4% 2.2% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Desamparados

$188 11.1% 53.9% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Desamparados

$85 5% 8.9% $7

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Desamparados

$16 * 1% 26.6% $5.9

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 $854 in Desamparados. 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 $52.0 in Desamparados. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $375 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇨🇷 Desamparados

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

06:33 6:33 AM

10 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

38,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Desamparados 12,270 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Desamparados

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 Desamparados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi, $1,689 in Desamparados – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $2,533 in Desamparados. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi and $52.0 in Desamparados. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Desamparados, 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 Desamparados at $1,689. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Desamparados it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Tbilisi to $1,689 in Desamparados. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Desamparados makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.