Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Johnson City, TN, United States
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Johnson City, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,138
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Johnson City, TN $2,138

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,133 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Johnson City, TN $3,133

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $4,129 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Johnson City, TN $4,129

Tbilisi is about 41% cheaper than Johnson City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Johnson City, TN is 57% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$13.78 $13.78
-15.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$53.9 $53.9
-29.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$9.88 $9.88
-2.23%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$5.14 $5.14
-30.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$2.88 $2.88
-62.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$2.03 $2.03
-72.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$4.93 $4.93
-46.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$6.04 $6.04
-49.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$0.98 $0.98
121.43%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$3.75 $3.75
-78.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$3.97 $3.97
-56.17%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$3.11 $3.11
-9.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$7.53 $7.53
23.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$13.67 $13.67
-52.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$13.09 $13.09
-1.07%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.34
$7.59 $7.59
-77.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.73 $1.73
6.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$4.10 $4.10
-51.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$3.65 $3.65
-33.70%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$3.40 $3.40
-75.88%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$4.34 $4.34
-82.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$2.20 $2.20
-39.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$2.36 $2.36
-67.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$9.01 $9.01
-60.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$13.14 $13.14
-41.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$1.61 $1.61
5.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$4.42 $4.42
-45.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Johnson City, TN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
$0.97 $0.97
-58.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
$25.13 $25.13
-39.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$5.58 $5.58
-79.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$1.44 $1.44
-45.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$15.19 $15.19
-22.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$0.83 $0.83
74.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$30.0K $30.0K
-18.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$24.7K $24.7K
-9.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$172 $172
-48.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$51.9 $51.9
-74.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$62.5 $62.5
-68.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$47.20 $47.20
35.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
$20.14 $20.14
-5.46%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$11.88 $11.88
-40.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$1,185 $1,185
-68.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$14.6K $14.6K
-28.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$37.41 $37.41
177.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$30.80 $30.80
27.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$87.4 $87.4
34.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$94.4 $94.4
28.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Johnson City, TN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$1,178 $1,178
-40.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$980 $980
-53.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$1,992 $1,992
-31.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$1,616 $1,616
-43.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$2,444 $2,444
-6.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$2,033 $2,033
-33.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$3,584 $3,584
-81.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
6.49
94.45%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Johnson City, TN
$980 117% $529
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Johnson City, TN
$388 65.8% $154
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Johnson City, TN
$258 35.3% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Johnson City, TN
$113 34.5% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Johnson City, TN
$287 136% $165
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Johnson City, TN
$71 9.4% $7.3
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Johnson City, TN
$42 90.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Johnson City, TN are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $54 in Johnson City, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $388 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN
🕒 Local time
02:16 2:16 AM
18:16 6:16 PM
8 h behind Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
66,027
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Johnson City, TN 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tbilisi cheaper than Johnson City, TN?
Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $3,207 in Johnson City, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $1,178 in Johnson City, TN.
Is eating out cheaper in Tbilisi or in Johnson City, TN?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $54 in Johnson City, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Tbilisi and in Johnson City, TN?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $2,138 in Johnson City, TN. That makes Tbilisi about 41% cheaper.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Tbilisi or in Johnson City, TN?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Johnson City, TN at $2,138. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johnson City, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tbilisi or Johnson City, TN more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Tbilisi or Johnson City, TN?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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