Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and San Diego, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $4,047 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $33,700 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
197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Tbilisi vs $4,047 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,242
San Diego, CA $4,047

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Tbilisi vs $6,129 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,962
San Diego, CA $6,129

A family of three spends $2,682 per month in Tbilisi vs $8,211 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,682
San Diego, CA $8,211

Tbilisi is about 69% cheaper than San Diego, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while San Diego, CA is 202% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.46

$24.60 $24.60

-55.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$100 $100

-61.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$13.54 $13.54

-29.25%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$6.02 $6.02

-40.37%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$3.04 $3.04

-66.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$2.70 $2.70

-76.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

$8.03 $8.03

-65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

$10.95 $10.95

-71.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$1.32 $1.32

61.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$5.53 $5.53

-86.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$4.94 $4.94

-65.18%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$7.00 $7.00

-60.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$17.47 $17.47

-45.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$14.44 $14.44

-55.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$20.69 $20.69

-37.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$4.73 $4.73

-64.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$1.93 $1.93

-4.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$4.45 $4.45

-57.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$5.11 $5.11

-53.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$3.17 $3.17

-73.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$2.60 $2.60

-73.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$2.14 $2.14

-33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$2.07 $2.07

-62.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$11.73 $11.73

-69.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

$16.61 $16.61

-54.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.43

$2.16 $2.16

-20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

$3.23 $3.23

-29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

$2.48 $2.48

-83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

$71.0 $71.0

-78.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$3.06 $3.06

-61.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$2.05 $2.05

-61.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.50

$27.65 $27.65

-57.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$1.63 $1.63

-13.50%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$37.0K $37.0K

-34.45%

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

$21.7K ₾56.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

-15.27%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$255 $255

-65.64%

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

$13.33 ₾34.55

$74.5 $74.5

-82.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$86.3 $86.3

-77.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

$71.3 $71.3

-9.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.86

$24.19 $24.19

-22.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$19.86 $19.86

-67.02%

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

$377 ₾978

$1,938 $1,938

-80.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-71.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$66.2 $66.2

54.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$55.0 $55.0

-26.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$114 $114

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$147 $147

-17.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$3,255 $3,255

-79.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

$2,381 $2,381

-81.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$5,549 $5,549

-77.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$4,363 $4,363

-79.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$8,042 $8,042

-69.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$6,489 $6,489

-78.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$4,856 $4,856

-85.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.7

88.36%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 58.8% 428% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

San Diego, CA

$480 11.9% 107% $248

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

San Diego, CA

$395 9.8% 112% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

San Diego, CA

$172 4.3% 0.6% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

San Diego, CA

$416 10.3% 245% $295

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

San Diego, CA

$111 2.7% 42.7% $33

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

San Diego, CA

$94 2.3% 331% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $675 in Tbilisi versus $3,255 in San Diego, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 588% higher in San Diego, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $100 in San Diego, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $480 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

03:33 3:33 AM

11 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,386,932

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi San Diego, CA 11,540 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
San Diego, 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 San Diego, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,242 in Tbilisi, $4,047 in San Diego, CA – roughly 226% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,863 per month in Tbilisi and $6,071 in San Diego, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $377 per month in Tbilisi and $1,938 in San Diego, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 107% more in San Diego, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,242, than in San Diego, CA at $4,047. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Diego, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Diego, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,242 in Tbilisi to $4,047 in San Diego, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Diego, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.