Townleap

Cost of Living: Medellin vs Tbilisi (2026)

Colombia vs Georgia — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Medellin
Tbilisi
$703/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$681/mo
$4k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$17k/yr
5 yr
PR path
6 yr
Freelance setup
Trabajador Independiente
  • No VAT exemption
  • 28% social
  • €300/yr accountant
Stripe
Small Business Status
  • VAT-free under €33k
  • 2% social
  • €350/yr accountant

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRColombia gets you to permanent residency a year faster (5 vs 6 years). Tbilisi is safer — homicide rate 2.3 vs 25.3 per 100k. Both cities will charge you about the same to exist.
Tbilisi scores 66 to Medellin's 50 on livability — the gap is real. Medellin has its charms, but the numbers favor Tbilisi.
How the livability score breaks down
Medellin
Tbilisi
22.1/25
💰 Affordability
22.3/25
0/15
🔒 Violent Crime
12.7/15
4.6/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
7.4/10
5.9/15
⚡ Internet
3.4/15
9.5/15
🗳️ Democracy
7.1/15
4.3/10
🗣️ English
6.4/10
9.5/10
☀️ Climate
8/10
3.4/10
📊 Stability
8.9/10
2.2/10
🚗 Road Safety
4.3/10
3.2/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
5.3/10
Household
Medellin
Metric
Tbilisi
$402/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$358/mo✓
✓$2,156
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$2,453
29 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
62 / 100✓
25.3 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
2.3 / 100k✓
16.2 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
12.7 / 100k✓
46 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
74 / 100✓
79°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
84°F
63°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
30°F
✓79 Mbps
⚡
Internet speed
higher is better
45 Mbps
14.7 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
10.9 μg/m³✓
✓71 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
63 / 100
✓6.3 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
4.7 / 10
✓4.0 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
3.0 / 9
✓71 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
12 / 100
28/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
39/100✓
$22k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$28k✓
6.6% · Noticeable price creep
📈
Inflation
lower is better
1.1% · Boringly steady✓
✓74/100 — Mostly stable
⚡
Grid reliability
higher is better
57/100 — Patchy
✓68/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
51/100
A median Software Engineer in Medellin takes home $2,180/mo under Standard employee. In Tbilisi: $3,292/mo under Standard employee.
$1,112/mo more in Tbilisi
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$34k
💰
Gross income
$51k
−$5k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$10k
−$3k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$1k
$26k/yr
$2k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$40k/yr✓
$3k/mo
−$23k
🏠
Cost of living
−$22k
$4k/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
$21/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Tbilisi
2.3 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Medellin
6.3/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
—
79°F vs 84°F summers
🗣️
English
Tbilisi
higher proficiency score
📋
Residency
Medellin
PR in 5 years

Sun

How much sky you actually get

10% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
62% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
11.8h
Shortest day
Dec
9.1h
12.5h
Longest day
Jun
15.2h

Sun clocks out early in Tbilisi's winter. Plan accordingly.

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

Settler Essentials

declining ↓
Democracy trend
declining ↓
improving ↑
Inflation trend
improving ↑
techtourismfashion-textilefintech
Industries
tech-outsourcingfintechtourismigaming
active
Startup ecosystem
nascent
Easy
🇺🇸 Your visa
Easy
Easy
EU visa
Easy
Easy
RU visa
Easy
Easy
UA visa
Easy
❌ Partner cannot work on this visa
Spouse works
⚠️ Needs a separate work permit

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

Legal on request up to 24 weeks since 2022 Constitutional Court ruling.

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

Medellin vs Tbilisi — Common Questions

Is Medellin cheaper than Tbilisi?▾

Tbilisi is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $681/month there vs $703/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Medellin or Tbilisi?▾

Tbilisi is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Medellin has a rate of 25.27 per 100,000 and Tbilisi has 2.33 per 100,000.

Should I move to Medellin or Tbilisi?▾

Tbilisi scores 66 to Medellin's 50 on livability — the gap is real. Medellin has its charms, but the numbers favor Tbilisi. 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 Medellin or Tbilisi?▾

Medellin: Colombia Digital Nomad Visa (V-type) (easy to get, 2 years (renewable)). Tbilisi: Remotely from Georgia (easy to get, Up to 1 year). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Medellin or Tbilisi?▾

Tbilisi is warmer in summer (84°F vs 79°F). Medellin 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 Medellin or Tbilisi without speaking the local language?▾

Tbilisi is easier for street-level English (39/100) than Medellin (28/100). 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 Medellin vs Tbilisi?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $681/month in Tbilisi, $703/month in Medellin (Numbeo). That's 3% cheaper rent in Tbilisi.

Is Medellin or Tbilisi better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Medellin scores 6.3/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 4.7/10 for Tbilisi. Both are functional democracies, though the gap matters if you're planning to stay long enough to care about local politics.

Is healthcare better in Medellin or Tbilisi?▾

Medellin scores higher on our composite healthcare index (71/100 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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