Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Santa Cruz, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $4,374 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $37,300 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
210

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, CA
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Santa Cruz, CA Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $4,374 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Tbilisi $1,269
Santa Cruz, CA $4,374

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $6,182 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Tbilisi $2,016
Santa Cruz, CA $6,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $7,990 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Tbilisi $2,763
Santa Cruz, CA $7,990

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 71% less than in Santa Cruz, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Santa Cruz, CA is 221% 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

$100 $100

-62.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$14.72 $14.72

-34.38%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$6.37 $6.37

-43.96%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$4.25 $4.25

-74.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$3.25 $3.25

-82.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$8.09 $8.09

-67.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$8.22 $8.22

-63.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.58 $1.58

37.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$7.50 $7.50

-89.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$7.51 $7.51

-76.83%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$6.48 $6.48

-56.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$31.90 $31.90

-70.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$16.79 $16.79

-61.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$18.24 $18.24

-29.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$13.02 $13.02

-87.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$3.22 $3.22

-42.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$10.10 $10.10

-80.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$9.00 $9.00

-73.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$4.35 $4.35

-81.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$4.46 $4.46

-83.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$5.11 $5.11

-73.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$4.88 $4.88

-84.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$11.82 $11.82

-69.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$24.88 $24.88

-69.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.10 $2.10

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$3.33 $3.33

-27.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.03 $2.03

-80.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$65.6 $65.6

-76.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.59 $1.59

-8.81%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$31.5K $31.5K

-21.85%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-14.58%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$385 $385

-76.91%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$57.9 $57.9

-77.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$86.8 $86.8

-77.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$96.2 $96.2

-33.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$12.79 $12.79

48.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$16.82 $16.82

-57.67%

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

$375 ₾971

$2,458 $2,458

-84.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$30.3K $30.3K

-65.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$67.7 $67.7

53.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$61.5 $61.5

-36.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$90.5 $90.5

29.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$155 $155

-21.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$3,222 $3,222

-78.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$2,343 $2,343

-80.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$4,461 $4,461

-69.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$3,638 $3,638

-75.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$8,763 $8,763

-73.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$9,924 $9,924

-86.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$5,571 $5,571

-88.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.47

95.05%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.3K 53.6% 419% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Santa Cruz, CA

$719 16.4% 207% $485

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Santa Cruz, CA

$410 9.4% 115% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$168 3.9% 2% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Santa Cruz, CA

$529 12.1% 335% $408

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Santa Cruz, CA

$130 3% 65.8% $52

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Santa Cruz, CA

$74 * 1.7% 237% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $3,222 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz, CA pays about 8.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $100 in Santa Cruz, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $719 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

18:07 6:07 PM

12 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

64,220

💱 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 Santa Cruz, CA 11,170 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Santa Cruz, 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 88% 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 $3,222 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $100 in Santa Cruz, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $4,374 in Santa Cruz, CA – Tbilisi is about 71% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $4,374 in Santa Cruz, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tbilisi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Cruz, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.