San José vs Tbilisi
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Tbilisi edges it, 59 to 58, winning 5 of the 9 factors. San José is stronger on healthcare; Tbilisi on air quality, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | San José | Tbilisi |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 50 | 63 ✓ |
| Safety | 62 ✓ | 58 |
| Healthcare | 81 ✓ | 61 |
| Internet | 60 ✓ | 51 |
| Visa ease | 89 | 90 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 22 | 29 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 42 |
| Air quality | 47 | 67 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 68 | 69 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | San José | Tbilisi |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,479 | $1,094 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $738 ✓ | $802 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | San José | Tbilisi |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 13.5 | 1.9 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 86 ✓ | 55.4 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 ✓ | 71 |
| Life expectancy | 78.6 yrs ✓ | 71.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | San José | Tbilisi |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 32.5 Mbps ✓ | 19.5 Mbps |
| Upload | 10.2 Mbps ✓ | 9.6 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | San José | Tbilisi |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Estancia para Trabajador y Prestador Remoto de Servicios ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,999/mo | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 180 days | 360 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 180 days | 360 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 180 days | 360 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | San José | Tbilisi |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 52 | 64 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | San José | Tbilisi |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 29 µg/m³ | 20 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, San José or Tbilisi?
- Tbilisi is cheaper: about $1,094 per month versus $1,479 for one person.
- Is San José or Tbilisi safer?
- San José scores higher on safety (62 vs 58), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, San José or Tbilisi?
- San José: a measured median of 32.5 Mbps versus 19.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.