Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Independence, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,278 a month against $2,034 in Independence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Independence, KS
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Independence, KS Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Independence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,034

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Independence, KS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $2,034 in Independence, KS.

Tbilisi $1,278
Independence, KS $2,034

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Tbilisi versus $3,012 in Independence, KS.

Tbilisi $2,017
Independence, KS $3,012

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Tbilisi versus $3,990 in Independence, KS.

Tbilisi $2,755
Independence, KS $3,990

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 37% less than in Independence, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 5% below, Independence, KS is 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$19.98 $19.98

-41.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$74.8 $74.8

-48.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$11.47 $11.47

-15.08%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$5.41 $5.41

-34.20%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$2.71 $2.71

-60.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$2.02 $2.02

-72.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$5.83 $5.83

-53.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$7.34 $7.34

-57.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.01 $1.01

111.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$3.60 $3.60

-79.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$4.02 $4.02

-55.22%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$4.05 $4.05

-30.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$12.21 $12.21

-22.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$12.46 $12.46

-43.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.84

$17.26 $17.26

-26.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$5.16 $5.16

-68.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.59 $1.59

15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$4.49 $4.49

-56.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$4.22 $4.22

-41.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$2.70 $2.70

-72.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$2.82 $2.82

-76.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$2.11 $2.11

-33.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$2.30 $2.30

-68.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.09

$10.27 $10.27

-65.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$15.08 $15.08

-47.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$2.00 $2.00

-15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$3.53 $3.53

-32.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$2.24 $2.24

-83.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.57

$64.7 $64.7

-76.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$3.19 $3.19

-62.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.96 $1.96

-62.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$30.80 $30.80

-61.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.00 $1.00

46.00%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$28.4K $28.4K

-12.03%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-13.06%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$201 $201

-56.18%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$57.3 $57.3

-77.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$69.1 $69.1

-71.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$39.52 $39.52

62.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.60

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$13.95 $13.95

-52.33%

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

$371 ₾961

$1,389 $1,389

-73.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$21.2K $21.2K

-56.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$53.6 $53.6

90.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$44.07 $44.07

-10.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$89.9 $89.9

31.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$112 $112

6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,785

$1,591 $1,591

-56.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$695 $695

-33.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,524

$2,539 $2,539

-46.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$1,051 $1,051

-14.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,892

$2,430 $2,430

-6.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,565

$2,663 $2,663

-48.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,837

$5,237 $5,237

-86.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

6.59

90.14%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Independence, KS: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Independence, KS

$695 34.2% 50.7% $234

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Independence, KS

$401 19.7% 70.4% $165

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Independence, KS

$322 15.8% 68.1% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Independence, KS

$135 6.6% 21.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Independence, KS

$328 16.1% 172% $207

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Independence, KS

$67 3.3% 13.1% $10

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Independence, KS

$87 4.3% 300% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Tbilisi and $1,591 in Independence, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Independence, KS pays about 7.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $75 in Independence, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $401 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 Independence, KS

🕒 Local time

18:27 6:27 PM

08:27 8:27 AM

10 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

117,213

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

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Between locations

Tbilisi Independence, KS 10,370 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Independence, KS

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 Independence, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Independence, KS. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 86% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $690 in Tbilisi versus $1,591 in Independence, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Independence, KS. 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 versus $75 in Independence, KS. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $2,034 in Independence, KS, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Independence, KS. 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.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Independence, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.