Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and San José Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and San José

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,199 in Tbilisi versus $995 in San José.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,833 in Tbilisi versus $1,550 in San José.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,466 in Tbilisi versus $2,105 in San José.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 21% more expensive than San José, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 11% lower, San José 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 ₾29.20

$16.36 UYU 651

-33.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.33 ₾117

$54.5 UYU 2,168

-20.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 ₾22.19

$11.09 UYU 441

-25.61%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ₾8.33

$4.30 UYU 171

-27.91%

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

$0.80 ₾2.15

$2.18 UYU 86.9

-63.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.24

$1.70 UYU 67.6

-72.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 ₾5.81

$4.32 UYU 172

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₾7.92

$3.71 UYU 148

-20.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.19

$1.02 UYU 40.52

89.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 ₾1.81

$1.99 UYU 79.3

-66.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 ₾4.91

$1.49 UYU 59.3

22.15%

Eggs

$2.56 ₾6.88

$2.47 UYU 98.4

3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 ₾20.48

$12.07 UYU 480

-36.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 ₾17.50

$7.50 UYU 299

-13.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 ₾26.00

$10.88 UYU 433

-11.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ₾3.12

$1.20 UYU 47.62

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₾4.36

$1.43 UYU 56.9

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ₾5.04

$1.19 UYU 47.26

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.26

$1.51 UYU 60.0

54.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.75

$0.95 UYU 37.88

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₾1.70

$1.25 UYU 49.62

-49.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.17

$1.31 UYU 52.3

-9.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.90

$1.71 UYU 68.1

-59.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ₾8.17

$5.16 UYU 205

-41.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 ₾19.56

$10.16 UYU 404

-28.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.27

$2.38 UYU 94.8

-33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₾6.18

$2.96 UYU 118

-22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.96

$1.20 UYU 47.71

-70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.68 ₾39.48

$43.91 UYU 1,747

-66.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾4.03

$1.50 UYU 59.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₾1.87

$1.49 UYU 59.1

-53.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 ₾19.78

$11.15 UYU 443

-34.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₾3.05

$1.81 UYU 71.9

-37.57%

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

$18.2K ₾49.0K

$34.2K UYU 1.4M

-46.64%

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

$20.2K ₾54.5K

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

-43.55%

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

$74.0 ₾199

$173 UYU 6,871

-57.17%

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

$11.87 ₾31.93

$16.48 UYU 656

-27.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.55 ₾47.20

$48.92 UYU 1,947

-64.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 ₾162

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.69 ₾44.89

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ₾18.10

$10.32 UYU 410

-34.79%

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

$261 ₾703

$487 UYU 19.4K

-46.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,146 ₾13.8K

$8,833 UYU 351.5K

-41.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.6 ₾209

$93.6 UYU 3,722

-17.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.48 ₾117

$48.14 UYU 1,915

-9.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾318

$113 UYU 4,483

5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾298

$122 UYU 4,841

-8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 ₾1,891

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 ₾1,231

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 ₾3,621

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₾2,120

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,560 ₾6,885

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,443 ₾3,881

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 ₾1,742

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

5.68

109.33%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: April 21, 2026

Last update for San José: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $703 in Tbilisi and $0 in San José. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Tbilisi vs $54 in San José for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $248 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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 José: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San José wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San José the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,799 in Tbilisi and $1,492 in San José to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $261 in Tbilisi versus $487 in San José. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $995 in San José versus $1,199 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San José but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes San José the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San José delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $995 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San José hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and San José are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San José gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.