Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and East Lansing, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
113

Cost of Living Index in East Lansing, MI
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East Lansing, MI Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

East Lansing, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,318

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in East Lansing, MI

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 East Lansing, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI.

Tbilisi $1,266
East Lansing, MI $2,318

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $3,429 in East Lansing, MI.

Tbilisi $2,007
East Lansing, MI $3,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $4,540 in East Lansing, MI.

Tbilisi $2,749
East Lansing, MI $4,540

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 45% less than in East Lansing, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 6% below, East Lansing, MI is 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$16.62 $16.62

-31.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$73.9 $73.9

-47.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$12.21 $12.21

-21.13%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$5.24 $5.24

-33.97%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$2.46 $2.46

-55.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$2.20 $2.20

-71.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$4.93 $4.93

-43.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$6.47 $6.47

-52.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$0.84 $0.84

167.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$2.92 $2.92

-72.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$5.18 $5.18

-66.02%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$2.75 $2.75

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$10.93 $10.93

-14.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$16.78 $16.78

-60.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$16.59 $16.59

-22.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$5.24 $5.24

-68.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$1.53 $1.53

17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$6.76 $6.76

-71.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$3.61 $3.61

-33.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$5.81 $5.81

-85.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$5.66 $5.66

-87.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$2.15 $2.15

-34.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$3.96 $3.96

-82.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$9.58 $9.58

-63.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$16.14 $16.14

-52.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$1.94 $1.94

-15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$1.52 $1.52

51.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.60 $1.60

-76.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$50.5 $50.5

-68.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$9.80 $9.80

-88.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$3.20 $3.20

-75.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$9.93 $9.93

19.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$0.97 $0.97

44.33%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-28.11%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-15.35%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$173 $173

-48.34%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$54.1 $54.1

-75.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$63.1 $63.1

-68.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$36.22 $36.22

79.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$15.24 $15.24

24.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$11.21 $11.21

-41.39%

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

$377 ₾975

$645 $645

-41.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$11.0K $11.0K

-1.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$54.2 $54.2

88.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$37.29 $37.29

6.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$69.0 $69.0

70.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$85.0 $85.0

45.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$1,231 $1,231

-45.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$1,041 $1,041

-56.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$2,063 $2,063

-37.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$1,684 $1,684

-47.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$2,070 $2,070

17.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$1,594 $1,594

-13.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$6,117 $6,117

-88.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.56

92.38%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for East Lansing, MI: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

East Lansing, MI

$1K 44.9% 132% $592

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

East Lansing, MI

$446 19.3% 90.9% $212

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

East Lansing, MI

$289 12.5% 53.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

East Lansing, MI

$110 4.8% 35.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

East Lansing, MI

$290 12.5% 137% $168

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

East Lansing, MI

$59 2.5% 24.9% $19

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

East Lansing, MI

$83 3.6% 272% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $1,231 in East Lansing, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Lansing, MI pays 800% 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: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $74.0 in East Lansing, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $446 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 East Lansing, MI

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

05:34 5:34 AM

8 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

47,741

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi East Lansing, MI 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
East Lansing, MI

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 East Lansing, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and East Lansing, MI differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $2,318 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 800% lower in East Lansing, MI. 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: $666 in Tbilisi versus $1,231 in East Lansing, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Tbilisi versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 222% less than in East Lansing, MI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in East Lansing, MI. 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 East Lansing, MI 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 83% less than in East Lansing, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.