Townleap

Cost of Living: Amsterdam vs Tbilisi (2026)

Netherlands vs Georgia — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Amsterdam
Tbilisi
$2,602/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$681/mo
$15k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$17k/yr
5 yr
PR path
6 yr
30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)
Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Freelance setup
ZZP'er
  • VAT-free under €20k
  • 5.3% social
  • €1200/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Small Business Status
  • VAT-free under €33k
  • 2% social
  • €350/yr accountant

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRTbilisi is 74% cheaper on rent ($681/mo vs $2,602/mo). Netherlands gets you to permanent residency a year faster (5 vs 6 years). Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.
Too close to call — 69 vs 66. Amsterdam has a slight edge, but Tbilisi might suit you better depending on your priorities.
Household
Amsterdam
Metric
Tbilisi
$937/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$358/mo
$10,705
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$2,453
89 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
62 / 100
0.7 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
2.3 / 100k
3.4 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
12.7 / 100k
74 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
74 / 100
68°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
84°F
34°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
30°F
122 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
45 Mbps
11.2 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
10.9 μg/m³
86 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
63 / 100
9.0 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
4.7 / 10
7.5 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
3.0 / 9
59 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
12 / 100
76/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
39/100
$86k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$28k
3.3% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
1.1% · Boringly steady
94/100 — Reliable
Grid reliability
higher is better
57/100 — Patchy
97/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
51/100
A median Software Engineer in Amsterdam takes home $6,417/mo under Standard employee. In Tbilisi: $3,292/mo under Standard employee.
$3,125/mo more in Amsterdam
🎯 Amsterdam's 30% Ruling (expatriateregeling) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $8,212/mo instead.
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$128k
💰
Gross income
$51k
−$39k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$10k
−$12k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$1k
$77k/yr
$6k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$40k/yr
$3k/mo
−$62k
🏠
Cost of living
−$22k
$15k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
$17k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Tbilisi
$1,921/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Amsterdam
0.7 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Amsterdam
9.0/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
68°F vs 84°F summers
🗣️
English
Amsterdam
higher proficiency score
📋
Residency
Amsterdam
PR in 5 years

Sun

How much sky you actually get

44% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
62% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
7.7h
Shortest day
Dec
9.1h
16.8h
Longest day
Jun
15.2h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
declining
improving
Inflation trend
improving
fintechlogisticssemiconductorsagri-food-tech
Industries
tech-outsourcingfintechtourismigaming
hub
Startup ecosystem
nascent
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Easy
Easy
EU visa
Easy
Complex
RU visa
Easy
Easy
UA visa
Easy
Partner can work immediately
Spouse works
⚠️ Needs a separate work permit
Recognized
geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend
Partner pathway

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request
Abortion access
On request
24 wk
Gestational limit
12 wk

On request up to 24 weeks. 5-day reflection period removed in 2023.

On request up to 12 weeks. 2024 anti-LGBTQ legislation worsened overall rights climate.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal
Marriage
Not recognized
Joint adoption
Adoption
Not allowed
Yes
Job protection
No
Yes
Hate crime law
No

Amsterdam vs Tbilisi — Common Questions

Is Amsterdam cheaper than Tbilisi?

Tbilisi is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $681/month there vs $2602/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Amsterdam or Tbilisi?

Amsterdam is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Amsterdam has a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 and Tbilisi has 2.33 per 100,000.

Should I move to Amsterdam or Tbilisi?

Too close to call — 69 vs 66. Amsterdam has a slight edge, but Tbilisi might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Amsterdam or Tbilisi?

Amsterdam: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). Tbilisi: Remotely from Georgia (easy to get, Up to 1 year). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Amsterdam or Tbilisi?

Tbilisi is warmer in summer (84°F vs 68°F). Amsterdam has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Amsterdam or Tbilisi without speaking the local language?

Amsterdam is easier for street-level English (76/100) than Tbilisi (39/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Amsterdam vs Tbilisi?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $681/month in Tbilisi, $2602/month in Amsterdam (Numbeo). That's 74% cheaper rent in Tbilisi.

Is Amsterdam or Tbilisi better for democracy and rule of law?

Amsterdam scores 9.0/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 4.7/10 for Tbilisi. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Is healthcare better in Amsterdam or Tbilisi?

Amsterdam scores higher on our composite healthcare index (86/100 vs 63/100 for Tbilisi). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

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