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Mohamed Oun
Tbilisi
#6 of 124
Europe

Tbilisi

Georgia

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Tbilisi compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Tbilisi is 1% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Tbilisi compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$53,831
-$219K (-80%) vs San Francisco
Based on 187 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$53,293
-$120K (-69%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 1%

Community Insights

New
7.5/10

Tbilisi is highly praised by the Reddit community as a remote work hub, primarily due to its unbeatable tax framework (1% for entrepreneurs) and high purchasing power for those earning international salaries. Remote software engineers find that their USD or EUR goes incredibly far, affording a very comfortable lifestyle in a city globally celebrated for its safety, food, and hospitality.

However, tapping into the local tech economy is strongly discouraged. Redditors warn that local IT salaries are quite low compared to western standards, and the local recruiting culture can be a nightmare for incoming businesses. Expats are universally advised to bring an international remote job rather than seek local employment.

While safety is a massive highlight, daily urban infrastructure leaves much to be desired. Residents heavily criticize the horrendous traffic, poor air quality (ranking poorly on global pollution indexes), and the inescapable presence of public smoking. Furthermore, rapidly rising rents and nightly noise from stray dogs chip away at the otherwise cozy quality of life.

The Good

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to San Francisco.

Rankings

Tax Rate

Top 3%

#4

of 124 cities

1%

Current value (lower is better)

Purchasing Power

Top 5%

#6

of 124 cities

Home Affordability

Top 12%

#15

of 124 cities

≈2.9 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Tbilisi compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$1,965 / m²
80% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Tbilisi to maintain the same standard of living.

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Cost of Living
69% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Tbilisi

Tabby logo
Tabby
DataArt logo
DataArt
Lightspeed Commerce logo
Lightspeed Commerce
Incredibly low tax rate (1% for individual entrepreneurs), making it a massive financial haven for remote workers.
  • Excellent safety and low crime rate, ranking highly on a global scale compared to western countries.
  • Proximity to diverse nature, with both alpine skiing and beaches accessible within a 3 to 6-hour drive.
  • Very strong purchasing power and comfortable lifestyle if you are earning an international salary in USD or EUR.
  • Rich food and culture, with locals described as hospitable and the city having a cozy, warm, and lively vibe.
  • The Bad

    • Horrendous traffic and a general lack of pedestrian-friendly walking areas in the city.
    • Noticeable air pollution (you can literally "taste the pollution") combined with ubiquitous street smoking.
    • Low local tech salaries, making direct employment at strictly Georgian companies unappealing for senior expats.
    • Disruptive noise pollution, specifically from barking stray dogs keeping people awake at night.
    • Rapidly rising rent prices, which expats feel have doubled recently, diluting some of the historical cost-of-living benefits.
    • Deeply segregated expat bubbles, particularly with a large recent Russian influx causing social fragmentation and tension.

    Moving Here

    Easy

    Moving to Georgia is notably straightforward due to some of the most liberal immigration policies in the world, allowing many nationalities to stay and work for a full year visa-free. Setting up as an individual entrepreneur to access the famous 1% tax regime is fast and highly optimized for digital nomads. While the Georgian language is famously difficult, English is widely spoken among the younger generation and in the tech community. The city hosts a massive expat community, though it is currently somewhat fragmented into distinct linguistic and cultural bubbles.

    Who Is This City For?

    Ideal for: Fully remote software engineers and digital nomads earning USD/EUR who want to maximize their net income with ultra-low taxes while enjoying a safe, culturally rich, and naturally beautiful base.

    Avoid if: You need a high-paying local tech job, are highly sensitive to air pollution and cigarette smoke, or prefer highly walkable cities with strictly regulated traffic.

    Updated 2/28/2026

    Weather4.6/10-47% vs San Francisco
    Safety74+87%
    Pollution72+47%
    Events0-100%
    4.6/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

    0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

    Weather snapshot

    Average High
    18°C(same as San Francisco)
    Average Low
    8°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
    Sunshine Hours
    2,046h/yr-1016h/yr(-33%)
    Hottest Month High
    30°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)
    Coldest Month Low
    -2°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)
    Rainy Days
    53/yr+4/yr(+8%)

    Community & Quality

    Tbilisi community pulse

    Tbilisi has 0 Luma events listed.

    100% fewer events than San Francisco.

    Cost of Living

    Top 15%

    #19

    of 124 cities

    27/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    Safety Index

    Top 16%

    #20

    of 124 cities

    74/100

    Current value

    Comfortable Weather

    Middle of the pack

    #54

    of 124 cities

    46/100 weather score

    Current value

    Net Income

    Middle of the pack

    #66

    of 124 cities

    $53,293/yr

    Current value

    Pollution Score

    Bottom 16%

    #106

    of 124 cities

    71.9/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    Community Events

    Bottom 3%

    #122

    of 124 cities

    0 events on luma

    Current value

    SWE Affordability
    2.9 years
    1.6 years quicker than San Francisco
    Muggy Days
    13/yr+13/yr(+6550%)
    Cloud Cover
    38%(vs 34% in San Francisco)