Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Merced, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,556 in Merced, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Merced, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,556 in Merced, CA.

Tbilisi $1,269
Merced, CA $2,556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $3,713 in Merced, CA.

Tbilisi $2,016
Merced, CA $3,713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $4,870 in Merced, CA.

Tbilisi $2,763
Merced, CA $4,870

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 50% less than in Merced, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Merced, CA is 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$17.37 $17.37

-33.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$40.27 $40.27

-6.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$11.91 $11.91

-18.89%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$5.79 $5.79

-38.34%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.43 $2.43

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.47 $1.47

-61.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$8.95 $8.95

-70.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$10.02 $10.02

-69.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.24 $1.24

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$4.35 $4.35

-81.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$4.04 $4.04

-56.93%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$5.82 $5.82

-51.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$19.36 $19.36

-51.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$14.35 $14.35

-54.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$21.51 $21.51

-39.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$4.35 $4.35

-61.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.94 $1.94

-4.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$5.64 $5.64

-65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$5.49 $5.49

-55.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$3.52 $3.52

-76.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$3.03 $3.03

-75.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.35 $2.35

-42.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$2.55 $2.55

-69.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$11.81 $11.81

-69.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$15.91 $15.91

-51.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.42 $2.42

-29.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$3.31 $3.31

-27.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$1.54 $1.54

-74.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$61.1 $61.1

-75.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.03 $3.03

-62.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.70 $1.70

-54.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$26.85 $26.85

-55.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.33 $1.33

9.02%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$36.4K $36.4K

-32.57%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-13.92%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$240 $240

-62.96%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$29.53 $29.53

-55.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$84.6 $84.6

-76.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$33.09 $33.09

93.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$13.86 $13.86

37.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$16.14 $16.14

-55.89%

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

$375 ₾971

$1,870 $1,870

-79.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$39.2K $39.2K

-73.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$60.7 $60.7

70.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$52.1 $52.1

-24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$102 $102

15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$121 $121

0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$1,641 $1,641

-57.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$1,102 $1,102

-59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$1,970 $1,970

-31.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$1,889 $1,889

-52.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$2,939 $2,939

-21.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$2,932 $2,932

-54.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$3,357 $3,357

-80.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.36

98.43%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Merced, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Merced, CA

$1.1K 43.1% 144% $650

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Merced, CA

$480 18.8% 105% $246

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Merced, CA

$325 12.7% 70.3% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Merced, CA

$151 5.9% 12% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Merced, CA

$354 13.9% 191% $232

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Merced, CA

$65 2.6% 16.5% $13

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Merced, CA

$79 3.1% 260% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $1,641 in Merced, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merced, CA pays about 5.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $40 in Merced, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $480 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

20:02 8:02 PM

12 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

83,316

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Merced, CA 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Merced, CA

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 Merced, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $2,556 in Merced, CA, so Tbilisi is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% 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: $695 in Tbilisi versus $1,641 in Merced, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $1,870 in Merced, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Merced, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,556 in Merced, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Merced, CA. 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 50% less than in Merced, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.