Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $322 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$322

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in St John

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 St John actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $322 in St John.

Tbilisi $1,269
St John $322

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $927 in St John.

Tbilisi $2,016
St John $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,531 in St John.

Tbilisi $2,763
St John $1,531

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 294% more expensive than in St John.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, St John 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.10

$20.06 $20.06

-42.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.9

$174 $174

-78.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾25.01

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.25

$7.14 $7.14

-50.00%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.94 $2.94

-63.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.96 $1.96

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.79

$8.05 $8.05

-67.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.86

$8.09 $8.09

-62.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.61

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.52

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.32

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.10

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.87

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.54

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.80

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.11

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.26

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.12

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.25

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.62

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.62 $1.62

-10.49%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

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

$88.8 ₾230

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

$13.12 ₾33.98

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.30

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.44

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

$375 ₾972

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$13.3K $13.3K

-21.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾304

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,800

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,168

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,508

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,346

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,942

$12.8K $12.8K

-82.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,482

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,720

$5,075 $5,075

-86.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

7.05

79.01%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for St John: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

St John

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

St John

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

St John pays about 7.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $38 in Tbilisi vs $174 in St John for two.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

22:49 10:49 PM

8 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

2,743

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi St John 10,190 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
St John

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 St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $322 in St John, so St John is about 75% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 87% 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $174 in St John. 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 $322 in St John – St John is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $322 in St John versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,200 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes St John 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 St John are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.