Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Santa Monica, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
183

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
Learn more

Santa Monica, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Santa Monica, CA $3,815

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $5,847 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Santa Monica, CA $5,847

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $7,879 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Santa Monica, CA $7,879

Tbilisi is about 67% cheaper than Santa Monica, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Santa Monica, CA is 180% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$26.80 $26.80

-56.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.9

$121 $121

-68.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$15.08 $15.08

-35.94%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$5.77 $5.77

-38.13%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$3.32 $3.32

-67.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.35 $2.35

-76.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$7.94 $7.94

-67.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.86

$9.95 $9.95

-69.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.35 $1.35

60.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$4.63 $4.63

-82.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$4.52 $4.52

-61.50%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$5.46 $5.46

-48.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.08

$15.99 $15.99

-41.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.86

$14.11 $14.11

-53.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$19.54 $19.54

-33.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$4.86 $4.86

-65.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.80

$2.24 $2.24

-17.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$4.14 $4.14

-52.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$5.76 $5.76

-57.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$3.38 $3.38

-75.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.91 $2.91

-74.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.16 $2.16

-37.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$2.57 $2.57

-70.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$11.59 $11.59

-69.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.84

$14.87 $14.87

-48.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.53 $2.53

-32.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$3.02 $3.02

-20.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$1.70 $1.70

-76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.39

$54.8 $54.8

-72.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$3.03 $3.03

-62.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.83 $1.83

-57.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.59

$32.50 $32.50

-63.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.48 $1.48

-2.03%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$32.6K $32.6K

-24.60%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

-15.03%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$216 $216

-58.95%

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

$13.12 ₾33.94

$46.35 $46.35

-71.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$64.5 $64.5

-69.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$67.3 $67.3

-4.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.25

$44.25 $44.25

-56.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$18.86 $18.86

-62.25%

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

$375 ₾971

$1,741 $1,741

-78.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$32.4K $32.4K

-67.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$87.7 $87.7

18.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$54.1 $54.1

-27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾304

$106 $106

10.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$118 $118

3.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$3,795 $3,795

-81.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$2,269 $2,269

-80.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,505

$8,658 $8,658

-84.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,344

$4,229 $4,229

-78.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,936

$13.1K $13.1K

-82.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,479

$9,732 $9,732

-86.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$7,010 $7,010

-90.52%

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 Santa Monica, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Santa Monica, CA

$2.3K 59.5% 403% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$464 12.2% 98.3% $230

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Santa Monica, CA

$411 10.8% 116% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Santa Monica, CA

$165 4.3% 4.2% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Santa Monica, CA

$327 8.6% 169% $206

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Santa Monica, CA

$105 2.8% 34.2% $27

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Santa Monica, CA

$74 1.9% 237% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $3,795 in Santa Monica, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Santa Monica, CA are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $121 in Santa Monica, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $464 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

09:07 9:07 AM

11 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

89,736

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Santa Monica, CA 11,420 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Santa Monica, CA is pricier by about 201%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $5,722 in Santa Monica, 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $3,795 in Santa Monica, CA.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Tbilisi and $1,741 in Santa Monica, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 98% more in Santa Monica, 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 $1,269, than in Santa Monica, CA at $3,815. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Monica, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Santa Monica, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.