Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and San Rafael, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $4,547 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $39,300 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
219

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

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $4,547 in San Rafael, CA.

Tbilisi $1,269
San Rafael, CA $4,547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $6,255 in San Rafael, CA.

Tbilisi $2,016
San Rafael, CA $6,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $7,963 in San Rafael, CA.

Tbilisi $2,763
San Rafael, CA $7,963

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 72% less than in San Rafael, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, San Rafael, CA is 234% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$25.37 $25.37

-54.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$122 $122

-68.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$11.67 $11.67

-17.22%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.80 $4.80

-25.63%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.95 $2.95

-63.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.93 $2.93

-80.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$5.64 $5.64

-53.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$6.97 $6.97

-56.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.50 $1.50

44.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$4.59 $4.59

-82.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$9.70 $9.70

-82.06%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$5.44 $5.44

-47.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$22.82 $22.82

-59.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$15.29 $15.29

-57.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$18.54 $18.54

-30.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$7.29 $7.29

-76.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.95 $2.95

-37.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$6.66 $6.66

-70.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$8.36 $8.36

-71.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$5.86 $5.86

-86.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$5.65 $5.65

-86.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$3.14 $3.14

-57.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$3.99 $3.99

-80.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$11.42 $11.42

-68.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$12.78 $12.78

-39.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.23 $2.23

-23.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.99 $2.99

-19.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.05 $2.05

-80.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$40.37 $40.37

-62.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$4.01 $4.01

-71.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$4.39 $4.39

-82.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$29.55 $29.55

-59.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.40 $1.40

3.57%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$29.4K $29.4K

-16.41%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

-15.02%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$251 $251

-64.67%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$85.1 $85.1

-84.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$61.7 $61.7

-68.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$124 $124

-48.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$29.91 $29.91

-36.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$12.93 $12.93

-44.93%

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

$375 ₾971

$2,091 $2,091

-82.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$24.1K $24.1K

-56.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$60.9 $60.9

70.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$42.54 $42.54

-7.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$96.5 $96.5

21.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$130 $130

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$2,814 $2,814

-75.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$2,838 $2,838

-84.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$4,116 $4,116

-67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$3,993 $3,993

-77.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$8,383 $8,383

-72.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$5,743 $5,743

-76.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$6,930 $6,930

-90.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.62

90.63%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

San Rafael, CA

$2.8K 62.4% 529% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

San Rafael, CA

$577 12.7% 147% $343

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

San Rafael, CA

$361 7.9% 89.5% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

San Rafael, CA

$149 3.3% 13.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

San Rafael, CA

$398 8.8% 227% $277

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.3% 91.2% $71

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

San Rafael, CA

$75 1.6% 241% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $2,814 in San Rafael, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $122 in San Rafael, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $577 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

21:35 9:35 PM

12 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

58,704

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi San Rafael, CA 11,060 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in San Rafael, CA. 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 90% 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 $2,814 in San Rafael, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $4,547 in San Rafael, CA – Tbilisi is about 72% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 62% less than in San Rafael, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $4,547 in San Rafael, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in San Rafael, 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.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and San Rafael, CA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in San Rafael, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.