Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Elgin, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,057 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tbilisi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Elgin, IL
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Elgin, IL Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,057 in Elgin, IL.

Tbilisi $1,269
Elgin, IL $1,057

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $2,633 in Elgin, IL.

Tbilisi $2,016
Elgin, IL $2,633

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $4,209 in Elgin, IL.

Tbilisi $2,763
Elgin, IL $4,209

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 20% more expensive than in Elgin, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Elgin, IL 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.06

$20.39 $20.39

-42.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$59.1 $59.1

-35.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$9.94 $9.94

-2.82%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.08 $4.08

-12.50%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$3.06 $3.06

-64.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.04 $2.04

-72.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$5.98 $5.98

-56.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$4.88 $4.88

-37.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$0.87 $0.87

149.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$3.52 $3.52

-77.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$4.15 $4.15

-58.07%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$3.64 $3.64

-22.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$11.13 $11.13

-16.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$13.06 $13.06

-50.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.49

$11.98 $11.98

8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$4.47 $4.47

-62.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.33 $1.33

39.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.53 $2.53

-22.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$4.04 $4.04

-40.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.00 $2.00

-59.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.01 $2.01

-63.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.78 $1.78

-24.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$2.40 $2.40

-67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.23

$10.58 $10.58

-66.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$15.75 $15.75

-51.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.71 $2.71

-37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$3.54 $3.54

-32.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$4.05 $4.05

-71.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$2.04 $2.04

-61.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$27.57 $27.57

-57.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.04 $1.04

39.42%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$31.2K $31.2K

-21.16%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

-13.39%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$98.8 $98.8

-10.11%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$53.3 $53.3

-75.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$49.92 $49.92

-60.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.23

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$15.10 $15.10

-52.85%

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

$375 ₾971

$1,656 $1,656

-77.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$23.4K $23.4K

-55.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$40.64 $40.64

155.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$50.3 $50.3

-21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$99.6 $99.6

17.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$120 $120

1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$2,162 $2,162

-37.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$1,820 $1,820

-50.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$2,201 $2,201

4.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,477

$2,268 $2,268

-40.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$3,966 $3,966

-83.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.69

88.64%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Elgin, IL

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Elgin, IL

$368 34.9% 57.5% $135

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Elgin, IL

$302 28.6% 58.4% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Elgin, IL

$140 13.2% 18.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Elgin, IL

$202 19.1% 66.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.9% 61.4% $48

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4% 34.9% $7.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Elgin, IL pays about 6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $59 in Elgin, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $368 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

03:06 3:06 AM

9 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

112,603

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 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 30, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Elgin, IL 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Elgin, 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 Elgin, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elgin, IL is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Tbilisi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $1,656 in Elgin, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $59 in Elgin, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Elgin, IL gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Elgin, IL are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.