TbilisivsYerevan.

Armstat — Integrated Living Conditions Survey (ILCS) 2024, average monthly per-capita consumption expenditures, urban communities

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.

Yerevan

$187/mo

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2024
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Armstat ILCS 2024 average monthly per-capita consumption expenditure, urban communities = 66,245 AMD (Table 3.5/3.6, 'Household Income, Expenditures, and Basic Food Consumption', poverty_2025_en_3.pdf). The urban basis is used because Yerevan is fully urban. The Armenian ILCS consumption basket contains NO rent line (housing appears only as Utilities 10,646 AMD; owner-occupancy dominates and paid rent is not captured), so the figure already excludes rent — no subtraction needed. CPI-uplifted from 2024 to mid-2026 by ×1.045 (Armenia inflation ≈0.3% in 2024, ≈2.7–3.9% through 2025, 3% CBA target for 2026) → 69,226 AMD → $187 at 369.34 AMD/USD. FX from data/fx-rates.json: 421.01 AMD/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR = 369.34 AMD/USD (CBA/ECB 2026-07-03).
Notes: Per-capita ILCS basis (one adult's non-rent consumption), not a separate one-person-household survey (Armstat does not publish the latter for a single-person basket). National per-capita total is 60,941 AMD; the urban figure (66,245 AMD) is used as the Yerevan-relevant basis. Numbeo/Expatistan (forbidden) were not used.

02Freelancer tax burden

Tbilisistronger

SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jan 1, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.

Yerevan

10.8%

SettleMetric tax engine over Armenia's official 2026 rules (High-Tech turnover-tax law + Tax Code Art. 258 + funded-pension rules)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jan 1, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Best eligible scheme am-it-hightech-1 (registered high-tech IT sole proprietor, 1% turnover tax) at €60,000 = 25,260,600 AMD turnover (ECB/CBA 421.01): high-tech turnover tax 1% = 252,606 + mandatory funded pension 10%×(income−3,000,000) = 2,226,060 + health contribution 129,600 + military stamp duty 120,000 = 2,728,266 AMD of levies → 10.8%. The pension is charged on GROSS turnover (not profit) and dominates the burden, so the real cost is far above the headline 1%. Modelled with the pension uncapped (no individual-entrepreneur ceiling confirmed in official sources); a ceiling, if it applies, would lower this figure.
Notes: Micro-business 0% is unavailable to IT/consulting/professional services (excluded since July 2025). The turnover-tax 10% and general 20% regimes give higher burdens (~19.8% and ~27.8% at €60k respectively).

03Homicide rate

Tbilisistronger

2.03/100k

UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2019
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.

Yerevan

2.21/100k

UNODC intentional-homicide series for Armenia (via World Bank / Our World in Data mirror)

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: UNODC national series: 2.21 per 100k (2023), down from 2.74 (2022) and 3.14 (2021). Figures are UNODC-sourced; the World Bank/OWID mirror was used because the UNODC data portal is an interactive app. Re-verify the exact latest year directly at data.unodc.org next cycle.

04Climate comfort

Tbilisistronger

4/12 mo

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precip < 150mm: Apr, May, Sep, Oct = 4. June (28.7°C) and Jul–Aug (~32°C) are too hot.

Yerevan

3/12 mo

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Georgia

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: April (19.6°C), May (24.8°C), October (21.6°C) = 3. March (14.2°C) just misses the 15°C floor; September (29.6°C) and June–August (31–35°C) exceed the 28°C ceiling; Nov–Feb are too cold.

05Internet speed

Tbilisi

16 Mbps

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 47,852 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; the 2024 file is only Jan–Mar, and 2025/2026 are not yet published). Georgia sits under continent code AS in M-Lab.
Notes: M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Cross-check: the World Bank's July-2024 median of ~20 Mbps (Ookla-derived, so not citable here) is consistent with this once the M-Lab-reads-low offset is accounted for. Speeds are trending up (~10%/yr: M-Lab yearly medians ran 9.7 in 2020 → 15.8 in 2023), so multi-year pooling would understate current speed; the latest full year is used instead. GNCC/comcom.ge publishes operator quality-of-service measurements (e.g. Magticom fixed ~56 Mb/s advertised-tier average, 2025/26) but no national measured median, and its own speed commentary relies on the same Ookla data we can't redistribute.

Yerevanstronger

16 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Armenia (2023 daily stats)

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 30,840 download tests, 2023 — the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API. Same methodology as other SettleMetric countries.
Notes: M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Ookla reported ~57 Mbps for Armenia in Jan 2025) — the two are not comparable and must not be mixed within this criterion. This is the low-consistent-methodology figure; real-world fibre in Yerevan is considerably faster.

06English proficiency

Tbilisistronger

High

EF EPI 2025 — Armenia (score 515, rank 56/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of: Nov 1, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.

Yerevan

Moderate

Research

Data as of: Nov 1, 2025
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). Score 515 falls in EF's 'Moderate' band. English is workable with younger people, in IT and the tourism/service sector in Yerevan, less so in government offices and outside the capital; Russian remains the stronger second language.

07Private healthcare cost

Tbilisi

$450/yr

Georgian insurers (Ardi, GPI, Imedi L) — comprehensive-tier plans

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Midpoint of comprehensive local plans: Ardi Medi Premium from ~$340/yr up to market comprehensive ~$795/yr (converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD). Expat international plans run higher ($1,000–2,000/yr).
Notes: Georgian insurers quote by callback rather than public age-rated engines, so this is a curated market midpoint for local comprehensive cover, not a bound quote.

Yerevan

$352/yr

Nairi Insurance voluntary health insurance package (with-inpatient), as published by Repat Armenia

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Nairi Insurance voluntary health insurance (VHI): 130,000 AMD/year per adult under 65 (family of 3+ discounted 30% to 91,000 AMD), coverage limit 7,000,000 AMD. Comprehensive with-inpatient package — covers outpatient care, doctor consultations, tests, hospitalization, surgery, chronic-disease monitoring, plus dental and (after a 9-month wait) pregnancy. 130,000 AMD ÷ 369.34 AMD/USD = $352/year (FX from data/fx-rates.json: 421.01 AMD/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, CBA/ECB 2026-07-03).
Notes: Comparable to the other countries' comprehensive (with-inpatient) basis. Private VHI is optional; Armenia is phasing in a mandatory Universal Health Insurance system (2026). This is a specific published individual premium (Nairi via Repat Armenia), not a market median — other insurers (Rosgosstrakh-Armenia, SIL, INGO, RESO, Armenia Insurance) quote on request. Pre-existing conditions are excluded and waiting periods apply. Insurers supervised by the Central Bank of Armenia.

08Air quality (PM2.5)

Tbilisistronger

15.1 µg/m³

IQAir World Air Quality Report — Yerevan annual mean (2020)

Research

Data as of: Dec 31, 2024
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations + validated sensors). About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25). Georgia's official NEA portal publishes only real-time readings, not an annual mean.

Yerevan

24.9 µg/m³

Research

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations and validated sensors), same basis used for the sister Tbilisi file. 2020 annual mean 24.9 µg/m³ (2019 was 25.5) — the most recent clean full-year annual average IQAir publishes for Yerevan. About 5× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) and near the current EU limit value (25). Armenia's official national monitoring is run by the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center (Ministry of Environment), whose portal publishes real-time readings rather than a downloadable annual mean, and the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database V8.0 value for Yerevan was not cleanly extractable in this pass (the WHO interactive app is JS-rendered). Community civic-tech networks (ArmAQI, AirQuality.am) report higher recent annual means (~28–30 µg/m³ for 2024–2025), so this 2020 figure may understate current levels; winter heating and traffic are the main sources and winters are markedly worse than summers. Re-verify against the WHO database Excel and any official national annual mean next cycle.

Which city fits your plan?

Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.

Remote IT / freelancer

Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.

Tbilisi fits better — 3 of 5

01Freelancer tax burden

Tbilisistronger

SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jan 1, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.

Yerevan

10.8%

SettleMetric tax engine over Armenia's official 2026 rules (High-Tech turnover-tax law + Tax Code Art. 258 + funded-pension rules)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jan 1, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Best eligible scheme am-it-hightech-1 (registered high-tech IT sole proprietor, 1% turnover tax) at €60,000 = 25,260,600 AMD turnover (ECB/CBA 421.01): high-tech turnover tax 1% = 252,606 + mandatory funded pension 10%×(income−3,000,000) = 2,226,060 + health contribution 129,600 + military stamp duty 120,000 = 2,728,266 AMD of levies → 10.8%. The pension is charged on GROSS turnover (not profit) and dominates the burden, so the real cost is far above the headline 1%. Modelled with the pension uncapped (no individual-entrepreneur ceiling confirmed in official sources); a ceiling, if it applies, would lower this figure.
Notes: Micro-business 0% is unavailable to IT/consulting/professional services (excluded since July 2025). The turnover-tax 10% and general 20% regimes give higher burdens (~19.8% and ~27.8% at €60k respectively).

02Internet speed

Tbilisi

16 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Georgia

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 47,852 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; the 2024 file is only Jan–Mar, and 2025/2026 are not yet published). Georgia sits under continent code AS in M-Lab.
Notes: M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Cross-check: the World Bank's July-2024 median of ~20 Mbps (Ookla-derived, so not citable here) is consistent with this once the M-Lab-reads-low offset is accounted for. Speeds are trending up (~10%/yr: M-Lab yearly medians ran 9.7 in 2020 → 15.8 in 2023), so multi-year pooling would understate current speed; the latest full year is used instead. GNCC/comcom.ge publishes operator quality-of-service measurements (e.g. Magticom fixed ~56 Mb/s advertised-tier average, 2025/26) but no national measured median, and its own speed commentary relies on the same Ookla data we can't redistribute.

Yerevanstronger

16 Mbps

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Armenia (2023 daily stats)

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 30,840 download tests, 2023 — the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API. Same methodology as other SettleMetric countries.
Notes: M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Ookla reported ~57 Mbps for Armenia in Jan 2025) — the two are not comparable and must not be mixed within this criterion. This is the low-consistent-methodology figure; real-world fibre in Yerevan is considerably faster.

03English proficiency

Tbilisistronger

High

EF EPI 2025 — Armenia (score 515, rank 56/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of: Nov 1, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.

Yerevan

Moderate

Research

Data as of: Nov 1, 2025
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). Score 515 falls in EF's 'Moderate' band. English is workable with younger people, in IT and the tourism/service sector in Yerevan, less so in government offices and outside the capital; Russian remains the stronger second language.

04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)

Tbilisi

$220/mo

Armstat — Integrated Living Conditions Survey (ILCS) 2024, average monthly per-capita consumption expenditures, urban communities

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.

Yerevan

$187/mo

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2024
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Armstat ILCS 2024 average monthly per-capita consumption expenditure, urban communities = 66,245 AMD (Table 3.5/3.6, 'Household Income, Expenditures, and Basic Food Consumption', poverty_2025_en_3.pdf). The urban basis is used because Yerevan is fully urban. The Armenian ILCS consumption basket contains NO rent line (housing appears only as Utilities 10,646 AMD; owner-occupancy dominates and paid rent is not captured), so the figure already excludes rent — no subtraction needed. CPI-uplifted from 2024 to mid-2026 by ×1.045 (Armenia inflation ≈0.3% in 2024, ≈2.7–3.9% through 2025, 3% CBA target for 2026) → 69,226 AMD → $187 at 369.34 AMD/USD. FX from data/fx-rates.json: 421.01 AMD/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR = 369.34 AMD/USD (CBA/ECB 2026-07-03).
Notes: Per-capita ILCS basis (one adult's non-rent consumption), not a separate one-person-household survey (Armstat does not publish the latter for a single-person basket). National per-capita total is 60,941 AMD; the urban figure (66,245 AMD) is used as the Yerevan-relevant basis. Numbeo/Expatistan (forbidden) were not used.

05Domestic delivery quality

Tbilisistronger

Good

Georgian Post + courier service pages (composite)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Georgian Post ~500 branches nationwide (1–3 day domestic parcels, some lockers/pickup points); Wolt Drive and Glovo last-mile in Tbilisi/Batumi; DHL/FedEx/UPS present. Dense and reliable in cities; locker density and nationwide same-day coverage thinner than EU leaders → good, not excellent.

Yerevan

Basic

HayPost (national postal operator) service network + private courier presence

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: HayPost operates the national branch network with domestic parcel and EMS delivery; private couriers (local same-day services in Yerevan, plus international DHL/FedEx/UPS agents) cover the capital well. Reliable but not a dense next-day parcel-locker market like the EU leaders; delivery is mostly to-door or branch pickup, typically a few days outside Yerevan. Classified 'basic'.
Notes: Curated classification from the national operator's coverage and courier presence; no official nationwide next-day SLA or parcel-locker density figures were obtained. Re-verify with HayPost service standards next cycle.

Family

Relocating with a partner and school-age children.

Tbilisi fits better — 3 of 5

01International schools

Tbilisi

IB World Schools directory / IB Georgia association

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: IB World Schools in Tbilisi: New School (PYP+MYP+DP), Newton Free School, European School. At least 3; the ibo.org finder blocked automated access (±1).
Notes: ~16 international schools operate in Tbilisi; 3 are IB-authorized.

Yerevanstronger

IB World Schools directory (ibo.org) + Cambridge International, US Middle States (MSA-CESS) and AEFE (French) accreditation, each verified per accreditor

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Count of Yerevan schools verified against a qualifying accreditor's own registry, not aggregator sites. (1) Shirakatsy Lyceum — IB Diploma Programme, IB school code 004090 (ibo.org/en/school/004090); (2) Quantum College — IB DP, code 007055 (ibo.org/en/school/007055); (3) National Polytechnic University of Armenia Foundation Yerevan High School — IB DP, code 062724 (ibo.org find-an-ib-school); (4) CIS Armenia International School — registered Cambridge International school (IGCSE, AS/A Level); (5) QSI International School of Yerevan — US Middle States Association (MSA-CESS) accredited since 2000, College Board AP; (6) Lycée Français Anatole France — AEFE network member (partnership signed 2017-11-21), homologué by the French Ministry of National Education. Excluded: 'Fundacion Gimnasio Ingles de Armenia' (IB code 061373) is in Armenia, Quindío, COLOMBIA — not Yerevan — a name-collision caught by per-accreditor verification.
Notes: Six schools verified against IB, Cambridge, US/Middle States, and AEFE registries. Other locally-advertised 'international' schools (e.g. Dream Bridgeman Oxford, British International School of Armenia) claim 'Oxford International Curriculum' / Pearson exam-centre status but were not confirmed on a qualifying accreditor's registry, so are conservatively excluded. ±1 uncertainty: an IB candidate school or a newly-registered Cambridge centre could shift the count.

02Homicide rate

Tbilisistronger

2.03/100k

UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2019
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.

Yerevan

2.21/100k

UNODC intentional-homicide series for Armenia (via World Bank / Our World in Data mirror)

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: UNODC national series: 2.21 per 100k (2023), down from 2.74 (2022) and 3.14 (2021). Figures are UNODC-sourced; the World Bank/OWID mirror was used because the UNODC data portal is an interactive app. Re-verify the exact latest year directly at data.unodc.org next cycle.

03Private healthcare cost

Tbilisi

$450/yr

Georgian insurers (Ardi, GPI, Imedi L) — comprehensive-tier plans

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Midpoint of comprehensive local plans: Ardi Medi Premium from ~$340/yr up to market comprehensive ~$795/yr (converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD). Expat international plans run higher ($1,000–2,000/yr).
Notes: Georgian insurers quote by callback rather than public age-rated engines, so this is a curated market midpoint for local comprehensive cover, not a bound quote.

Yerevan

$352/yr

Nairi Insurance voluntary health insurance package (with-inpatient), as published by Repat Armenia

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Nairi Insurance voluntary health insurance (VHI): 130,000 AMD/year per adult under 65 (family of 3+ discounted 30% to 91,000 AMD), coverage limit 7,000,000 AMD. Comprehensive with-inpatient package — covers outpatient care, doctor consultations, tests, hospitalization, surgery, chronic-disease monitoring, plus dental and (after a 9-month wait) pregnancy. 130,000 AMD ÷ 369.34 AMD/USD = $352/year (FX from data/fx-rates.json: 421.01 AMD/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, CBA/ECB 2026-07-03).
Notes: Comparable to the other countries' comprehensive (with-inpatient) basis. Private VHI is optional; Armenia is phasing in a mandatory Universal Health Insurance system (2026). This is a specific published individual premium (Nairi via Repat Armenia), not a market median — other insurers (Rosgosstrakh-Armenia, SIL, INGO, RESO, Armenia Insurance) quote on request. Pre-existing conditions are excluded and waiting periods apply. Insurers supervised by the Central Bank of Armenia.

04Air quality (PM2.5)

Tbilisistronger

15.1 µg/m³

IQAir World Air Quality Report — Yerevan annual mean (2020)

Research

Data as of: Dec 31, 2024
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations + validated sensors). About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25). Georgia's official NEA portal publishes only real-time readings, not an annual mean.

Yerevan

24.9 µg/m³

Research

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations and validated sensors), same basis used for the sister Tbilisi file. 2020 annual mean 24.9 µg/m³ (2019 was 25.5) — the most recent clean full-year annual average IQAir publishes for Yerevan. About 5× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) and near the current EU limit value (25). Armenia's official national monitoring is run by the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center (Ministry of Environment), whose portal publishes real-time readings rather than a downloadable annual mean, and the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database V8.0 value for Yerevan was not cleanly extractable in this pass (the WHO interactive app is JS-rendered). Community civic-tech networks (ArmAQI, AirQuality.am) report higher recent annual means (~28–30 µg/m³ for 2024–2025), so this 2020 figure may understate current levels; winter heating and traffic are the main sources and winters are markedly worse than summers. Re-verify against the WHO database Excel and any official national annual mean next cycle.

05English proficiency

Tbilisistronger

High

EF EPI 2025 — Armenia (score 515, rank 56/123, Moderate band)

Research

Data as of: Nov 1, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.

Yerevan

Moderate

Research

Data as of: Nov 1, 2025
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). Score 515 falls in EF's 'Moderate' band. English is workable with younger people, in IT and the tourism/service sector in Yerevan, less so in government offices and outside the capital; Russian remains the stronger second language.

Money & crypto

Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.

Tbilisi fits better — 2 of 3

01Crypto regulation

Tbilisistronger

Legal friendly

National Bank of Georgia — Virtual Asset Service Providers

Official source

Data as of: Jul 1, 2023
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Individuals pay 0% income tax on crypto gains (Minister of Finance Public Decision N201, 2019 — crypto is not Georgian-source income for individuals) and crypto↔fiat exchange is VAT-exempt. Service providers must register as VASPs with the NBG (regime since 1 July 2023). Very favourable for individual holders, hence legal-friendly.

Yerevan

Legal regulated

Central Bank of Armenia — Law on Crypto-Assets (in force 2025-07-04) and first regulatory package (effective 2026-01-31)

Official source

Data as of: Jan 31, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Holding and trading crypto is legal for individuals; not legal tender. A comprehensive Law on Crypto-Assets (modelled on the EU's MiCA) entered into force 2025-07-04; the Central Bank of Armenia is the sole licensing authority for crypto-asset service providers, with the first subordinate regulations effective 2026-01-31 and a licensing deadline of 2027-01-31 for existing providers. Leans crypto-friendly (non-entrepreneurial individual crypto gains are widely reported as untaxed), but classified 'legal-regulated' given the new MiCA-style licensing/AML framework.

02Financial control level

Tbilisi

Low

US State Dept 2025 Investment Climate Statement (Georgia) / trade.gov

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: GEL freely convertible (float since 1998; IMF Article VIII since 1996); no capital controls; funds transfer abroad freely (except sanctioned destinations); no routine cash caps or resident foreign-account exit restrictions.
Notes: Caveat: since Georgia joined CRS (2024) and post-2022 de-risking, non-resident bank account onboarding has become notably stricter (source-of-funds documentation, some rejections). The FX regime itself is open; the friction is at bank KYC.

Yerevan

Low

PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Armenia (no currency/capital controls; AMD convertible) + Central Bank of Armenia FX regime

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Composite: the Armenian dram (AMD) is freely convertible with no capital or currency controls on personal funds; non-residents can open bank accounts and hold foreign-currency accounts; foreigners can register a sole proprietorship and bank easily; no FBAR-style foreign-asset disclosure regime for residents. Classified 'low' state control over personal money flows. Inputs: PwC Armenia tax summaries and Central Bank of Armenia foreign-exchange rules.
Notes: Armenia has been a notably open banking destination for relocating remote workers since 2022. No IMF AREAER capital-control flags of note for personal transfers were found; re-verify against AREAER next cycle.

03Freelancer tax burden

Tbilisistronger

SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jan 1, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.

Yerevan

10.8%

SettleMetric tax engine over Armenia's official 2026 rules (High-Tech turnover-tax law + Tax Code Art. 258 + funded-pension rules)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jan 1, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Best eligible scheme am-it-hightech-1 (registered high-tech IT sole proprietor, 1% turnover tax) at €60,000 = 25,260,600 AMD turnover (ECB/CBA 421.01): high-tech turnover tax 1% = 252,606 + mandatory funded pension 10%×(income−3,000,000) = 2,226,060 + health contribution 129,600 + military stamp duty 120,000 = 2,728,266 AMD of levies → 10.8%. The pension is charged on GROSS turnover (not profit) and dominates the burden, so the real cost is far above the headline 1%. Modelled with the pension uncapped (no individual-entrepreneur ceiling confirmed in official sources); a ceiling, if it applies, would lower this figure.
Notes: Micro-business 0% is unavailable to IT/consulting/professional services (excluded since July 2025). The turnover-tax 10% and general 20% regimes give higher burdens (~19.8% and ~27.8% at €60k respectively).

Calm lifestyle

Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.

Tbilisi fits better — 3 of 4

01Homicide rate

Tbilisistronger

2.03/100k

UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2019
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.

Yerevan

2.21/100k

UNODC intentional-homicide series for Armenia (via World Bank / Our World in Data mirror)

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: UNODC national series: 2.21 per 100k (2023), down from 2.74 (2022) and 3.14 (2021). Figures are UNODC-sourced; the World Bank/OWID mirror was used because the UNODC data portal is an interactive app. Re-verify the exact latest year directly at data.unodc.org next cycle.

02Air quality (PM2.5)

Tbilisistronger

15.1 µg/m³

IQAir World Air Quality Report — Yerevan annual mean (2020)

Research

Data as of: Dec 31, 2024
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations + validated sensors). About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25). Georgia's official NEA portal publishes only real-time readings, not an annual mean.

Yerevan

24.9 µg/m³

Research

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations and validated sensors), same basis used for the sister Tbilisi file. 2020 annual mean 24.9 µg/m³ (2019 was 25.5) — the most recent clean full-year annual average IQAir publishes for Yerevan. About 5× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) and near the current EU limit value (25). Armenia's official national monitoring is run by the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center (Ministry of Environment), whose portal publishes real-time readings rather than a downloadable annual mean, and the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database V8.0 value for Yerevan was not cleanly extractable in this pass (the WHO interactive app is JS-rendered). Community civic-tech networks (ArmAQI, AirQuality.am) report higher recent annual means (~28–30 µg/m³ for 2024–2025), so this 2020 figure may understate current levels; winter heating and traffic are the main sources and winters are markedly worse than summers. Re-verify against the WHO database Excel and any official national annual mean next cycle.

03Cost of living (single, excl. rent)

Tbilisi

$220/mo

Armstat — Integrated Living Conditions Survey (ILCS) 2024, average monthly per-capita consumption expenditures, urban communities

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.

Yerevan

$187/mo

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2024
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Armstat ILCS 2024 average monthly per-capita consumption expenditure, urban communities = 66,245 AMD (Table 3.5/3.6, 'Household Income, Expenditures, and Basic Food Consumption', poverty_2025_en_3.pdf). The urban basis is used because Yerevan is fully urban. The Armenian ILCS consumption basket contains NO rent line (housing appears only as Utilities 10,646 AMD; owner-occupancy dominates and paid rent is not captured), so the figure already excludes rent — no subtraction needed. CPI-uplifted from 2024 to mid-2026 by ×1.045 (Armenia inflation ≈0.3% in 2024, ≈2.7–3.9% through 2025, 3% CBA target for 2026) → 69,226 AMD → $187 at 369.34 AMD/USD. FX from data/fx-rates.json: 421.01 AMD/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR = 369.34 AMD/USD (CBA/ECB 2026-07-03).
Notes: Per-capita ILCS basis (one adult's non-rent consumption), not a separate one-person-household survey (Armstat does not publish the latter for a single-person basket). National per-capita total is 60,941 AMD; the urban figure (66,245 AMD) is used as the Yerevan-relevant basis. Numbeo/Expatistan (forbidden) were not used.

04Climate comfort

Tbilisistronger

4/12 mo

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precip < 150mm: Apr, May, Sep, Oct = 4. June (28.7°C) and Jul–Aug (~32°C) are too hot.

Yerevan

3/12 mo

SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: April (19.6°C), May (24.8°C), October (21.6°C) = 3. March (14.2°C) just misses the 15°C floor; September (29.6°C) and June–August (31–35°C) exceed the 28°C ceiling; Nov–Feb are too cold.

The full comparison

Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.

Taxes

1 verified fact

CriterionTbilisiYerevan

01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileTbilisistronger1Yerevan10.8

What this measures

Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.

Lower is better· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· re-verified every 365 days

Tbilisi

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jan 1, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.

Yerevan

SettleMetric tax engine over Armenia's official 2026 rules (High-Tech turnover-tax law + Tax Code Art. 258 + funded-pension rules)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jan 1, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Best eligible scheme am-it-hightech-1 (registered high-tech IT sole proprietor, 1% turnover tax) at €60,000 = 25,260,600 AMD turnover (ECB/CBA 421.01): high-tech turnover tax 1% = 252,606 + mandatory funded pension 10%×(income−3,000,000) = 2,226,060 + health contribution 129,600 + military stamp duty 120,000 = 2,728,266 AMD of levies → 10.8%. The pension is charged on GROSS turnover (not profit) and dominates the burden, so the real cost is far above the headline 1%. Modelled with the pension uncapped (no individual-entrepreneur ceiling confirmed in official sources); a ceiling, if it applies, would lower this figure.
Notes: Micro-business 0% is unavailable to IT/consulting/professional services (excluded since July 2025). The turnover-tax 10% and general 20% regimes give higher burdens (~19.8% and ~27.8% at €60k respectively).

Legalization

1 verified fact

CriterionTbilisiYerevan

01+−Remote-work legalization easeTbilisiLong stay pathYerevanLong stay path

What this measures

Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.

Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days

Tbilisi

Government Ordinance N255 — visa-free entry

Official source

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Exceptionally easy in practice: ~94 nationalities (incl. all EU, US, UK, Ukraine, Russia) may stay visa-free for a full year and register an Individual Entrepreneur with 1% Small Business Status the same day — no residence permit needed. Scored as a long-stay path; there is no formal 'digital nomad visa' and the year of visa-free stay does not itself build toward permanent residence.

Yerevan

Migration and Citizenship Service of Armenia (Ministry of Internal Affairs) — residency status and visa

Official source

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: No dedicated digital-nomad visa. Realistic long-stay route: register as an individual entrepreneur (no minimum income) and obtain a temporary residence permit on entrepreneurship grounds — issued for up to 1 year, renewable, leading to permanent residence. Most Western and CIS nationals also get 180 days visa-free per year as a standing rule. A new fully-digital 'On Foreigners' system takes effect 2026-08-01.

Cost of living

1 verified fact

CriterionTbilisiYerevan

01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentTbilisi220Yerevan187

What this measures

Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.

Lower is better· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· re-verified every 365 days

Tbilisi

Armstat — Integrated Living Conditions Survey (ILCS) 2024, average monthly per-capita consumption expenditures, urban communities

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.

Yerevan

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2024
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Armstat ILCS 2024 average monthly per-capita consumption expenditure, urban communities = 66,245 AMD (Table 3.5/3.6, 'Household Income, Expenditures, and Basic Food Consumption', poverty_2025_en_3.pdf). The urban basis is used because Yerevan is fully urban. The Armenian ILCS consumption basket contains NO rent line (housing appears only as Utilities 10,646 AMD; owner-occupancy dominates and paid rent is not captured), so the figure already excludes rent — no subtraction needed. CPI-uplifted from 2024 to mid-2026 by ×1.045 (Armenia inflation ≈0.3% in 2024, ≈2.7–3.9% through 2025, 3% CBA target for 2026) → 69,226 AMD → $187 at 369.34 AMD/USD. FX from data/fx-rates.json: 421.01 AMD/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR = 369.34 AMD/USD (CBA/ECB 2026-07-03).
Notes: Per-capita ILCS basis (one adult's non-rent consumption), not a separate one-person-household survey (Armstat does not publish the latter for a single-person basket). National per-capita total is 60,941 AMD; the urban figure (66,245 AMD) is used as the Yerevan-relevant basis. Numbeo/Expatistan (forbidden) were not used.

Monthly spending by category (excl. rent)

Tbilisi

Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025 (category shares)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Geostat 2025 per-capita consumption shares (food 38.7%, transport 11.4%, healthcare 11.0%, etc.) applied to the ~$220/mo excl-rent base and converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD. Georgia's very high food share is characteristic of the income level. National average — rent shown separately.

Yerevan

Armstat — Integrated Living Conditions Survey (ILCS) 2024, per-capita consumption expenditures by category, urban communities

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2024
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Armstat ILCS 2024 urban per-capita consumption expenditure by category (Table 3.5/3.6, pre-2012 COICOP): Food 28,208 (incl. eating-out 2,293) + Non-food 12,835 + Utilities 10,646 + Health 4,475 + Tobacco 2,692 + Education 1,882 + Other services 1,861 + Communications 1,777 + Transport 1,585 + Alcohol 252 + Culture/legal 32 = 66,245 AMD. Each line CPI-uplifted ×1.045 and converted at 369.34 AMD/USD; categories sum to the ~$187/mo aggregate (Culture/legal rounds to $0 and is omitted). Rent excluded (not in the ILCS basket).

01Food & non-alcoholic drinks

Tbilisi

$88

Yerevan

—

02Food & non-alcoholic (incl. eating out)

Tbilisi

—

Yerevan

$80

03Restaurants, recreation & communications

Tbilisi

$41

Yerevan

—

04Non-food goods

Tbilisi

—

Yerevan

$36

05Transport

Tbilisi

$26

Yerevancheaper

06Utilities (water, electricity, gas, fuel)

Tbilisi

—

Yerevan

$30

07Healthcare (out-of-pocket)

Tbilisi

$25

Yerevan

—

08Utilities & energy

Tbilisi

$18

Yerevan

—

09Clothing & footwear

Tbilisi

$13

Yerevan

—

10Health (out-of-pocket)

Tbilisi

—

Yerevan

$13

11Household goods

Tbilisi

$12

Yerevan

—

12Education

Tbilisi

Yerevancheaper

13Tobacco

Tbilisi

—

Yerevan

14Communications

Tbilisi

—

Yerevan

15Other services

Tbilisi

—

Yerevan

16Alcoholic beverages

Tbilisi

—

Yerevan

Total (excl. rent)

Tbilisi$230/mo

Yerevan$187/mo

Housing

0 verified facts

Rent by apartment type

Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).

Tbilisi

ss.ge / korter.ge listing samples (Tbilisi)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Typical asking-rent medians from active listings (portals quote USD), central = Vake/Saburtalo/Old Tbilisi, outside = outer districts. Small samples — indicative ranges. Georgian portal room counts mapped (a '2-room' listing ≈ a 1-bedroom).
Notes: Asking, not transacted; indicative from small listing samples. Room-count convention: Georgian portals count total rooms, mapped to Western studio/1BR/2BR/3BR.

Yerevan

Curated from MyRealty.am live listings and Armenian Mirror-Spectator agent-reported anchors

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Asking-rent matrix (studio/1br/2br/3br × central Kentron-Arabkir vs outer districts) built from observed anchors and converted at 369.34 AMD/USD (fx-rates.json, 2026-07-02). Observed anchors: Mirror-Spectator (Mar 2025) studio 24m² ~110,000 AMD ($300), 2-room norm ~250,000 AMD ($677) with smaller/older 1-rooms lower; MyRealty.am (2026) 1-bedrooms ~$820–1,200 and small 2-bedrooms ~$750–950 for central/premium stock. Central cells anchored to the higher observed (Kentron/Arabkir premium) end; outer-district cells set ≈0.64× the central figure per the widely reported centre-vs-periphery gap. All eight cells are DERIVED estimates.
Notes: WIDE UNCERTAINTY and DERIVED. No Yerevan source publishes rent simultaneously by room count and by centre/outside, and the market is volatile; these cells are transparent estimates from listing-portal and agent-reported anchors, not a single observed table. Central = Kentron and prime Arabkir; outside = outer districts (e.g. Malatia-Sebastia, Nor Nork, Ajapnyak). Numbeo/Expatistan (forbidden) were not used. Replace with an official/portal market report next cycle.

01Studio

Tbilisicheaper

$450$300 outside

Yerevan

$460$300 outside

021-bedroom

Tbilisicheaper

$600$480 outside

Yerevan

$680$435 outside

032-bedroom

Tbilisicheaper

$900$650 outside

Yerevan

$950$610 outside

043-bedroom

Tbilisi

$1,400$1,000 outside

Yerevancheaper

$1,350$810 outside

Safety

1 verified fact

CriterionTbilisiYerevan

01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearTbilisistronger2Yerevan2.2

What this measures

Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).

Lower is better· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· re-verified every 730 days

Tbilisi

UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2019
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.

Yerevan

UNODC intentional-homicide series for Armenia (via World Bank / Our World in Data mirror)

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: UNODC national series: 2.21 per 100k (2023), down from 2.74 (2022) and 3.14 (2021). Figures are UNODC-sourced; the World Bank/OWID mirror was used because the UNODC data portal is an interactive app. Re-verify the exact latest year directly at data.unodc.org next cycle.

Climate

2 verified facts

CriterionTbilisiYerevan

01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearTbilisistronger4Yerevan3

What this measures

Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.

Higher is better· pleasant months/year· re-verified every 3650 days

Tbilisi

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precip < 150mm: Apr, May, Sep, Oct = 4. June (28.7°C) and Jul–Aug (~32°C) are too hot.

Yerevan

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: April (19.6°C), May (24.8°C), October (21.6°C) = 3. March (14.2°C) just misses the 15°C floor; September (29.6°C) and June–August (31–35°C) exceed the 28°C ceiling; Nov–Feb are too cold.

02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Tbilisistronger15.1Yerevan24.9

What this measures

Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.

Lower is better· µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5· re-verified every 730 days

Tbilisi

IQAir World Air Quality Report — Yerevan annual mean (2020)

Research

Data as of: Dec 31, 2024
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations + validated sensors). About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25). Georgia's official NEA portal publishes only real-time readings, not an annual mean.

Yerevan

Research

Data as of: Dec 31, 2020
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations and validated sensors), same basis used for the sister Tbilisi file. 2020 annual mean 24.9 µg/m³ (2019 was 25.5) — the most recent clean full-year annual average IQAir publishes for Yerevan. About 5× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³) and near the current EU limit value (25). Armenia's official national monitoring is run by the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center (Ministry of Environment), whose portal publishes real-time readings rather than a downloadable annual mean, and the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database V8.0 value for Yerevan was not cleanly extractable in this pass (the WHO interactive app is JS-rendered). Community civic-tech networks (ArmAQI, AirQuality.am) report higher recent annual means (~28–30 µg/m³ for 2024–2025), so this 2020 figure may understate current levels; winter heating and traffic are the main sources and winters are markedly worse than summers. Re-verify against the WHO database Excel and any official national annual mean next cycle.

Healthcare

1 verified fact

CriterionTbilisiYerevan

01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldTbilisi450Yerevan352

What this measures

Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.

Lower is better· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· re-verified every 365 days

Tbilisi

Georgian insurers (Ardi, GPI, Imedi L) — comprehensive-tier plans

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Midpoint of comprehensive local plans: Ardi Medi Premium from ~$340/yr up to market comprehensive ~$795/yr (converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD). Expat international plans run higher ($1,000–2,000/yr).
Notes: Georgian insurers quote by callback rather than public age-rated engines, so this is a curated market midpoint for local comprehensive cover, not a bound quote.

Yerevan

Nairi Insurance voluntary health insurance package (with-inpatient), as published by Repat Armenia

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Nairi Insurance voluntary health insurance (VHI): 130,000 AMD/year per adult under 65 (family of 3+ discounted 30% to 91,000 AMD), coverage limit 7,000,000 AMD. Comprehensive with-inpatient package — covers outpatient care, doctor consultations, tests, hospitalization, surgery, chronic-disease monitoring, plus dental and (after a 9-month wait) pregnancy. 130,000 AMD ÷ 369.34 AMD/USD = $352/year (FX from data/fx-rates.json: 421.01 AMD/EUR ÷ 1.1399 USD/EUR, CBA/ECB 2026-07-03).
Notes: Comparable to the other countries' comprehensive (with-inpatient) basis. Private VHI is optional; Armenia is phasing in a mandatory Universal Health Insurance system (2026). This is a specific published individual premium (Nairi via Repat Armenia), not a market median — other insurers (Rosgosstrakh-Armenia, SIL, INGO, RESO, Armenia Insurance) quote on request. Pre-existing conditions are excluded and waiting periods apply. Insurers supervised by the Central Bank of Armenia.

Money & crypto

2 verified facts

CriterionTbilisiYerevan

01+−Crypto regulationTbilisistrongerLegal friendlyYerevanLegal regulated

What this measures

Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.

Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days

Tbilisi

National Bank of Georgia — Virtual Asset Service Providers

Official source

Data as of: Jul 1, 2023
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Individuals pay 0% income tax on crypto gains (Minister of Finance Public Decision N201, 2019 — crypto is not Georgian-source income for individuals) and crypto↔fiat exchange is VAT-exempt. Service providers must register as VASPs with the NBG (regime since 1 July 2023). Very favourable for individual holders, hence legal-friendly.

Yerevan

Central Bank of Armenia — Law on Crypto-Assets (in force 2025-07-04) and first regulatory package (effective 2026-01-31)

Official source

Data as of: Jan 31, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Holding and trading crypto is legal for individuals; not legal tender. A comprehensive Law on Crypto-Assets (modelled on the EU's MiCA) entered into force 2025-07-04; the Central Bank of Armenia is the sole licensing authority for crypto-asset service providers, with the first subordinate regulations effective 2026-01-31 and a licensing deadline of 2027-01-31 for existing providers. Leans crypto-friendly (non-entrepreneurial individual crypto gains are widely reported as untaxed), but classified 'legal-regulated' given the new MiCA-style licensing/AML framework.

02+−Financial control levelTbilisiLowYerevanLow

What this measures

Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.

Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days

Tbilisi

US State Dept 2025 Investment Climate Statement (Georgia) / trade.gov

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Dec 31, 2025
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: GEL freely convertible (float since 1998; IMF Article VIII since 1996); no capital controls; funds transfer abroad freely (except sanctioned destinations); no routine cash caps or resident foreign-account exit restrictions.
Notes: Caveat: since Georgia joined CRS (2024) and post-2022 de-risking, non-resident bank account onboarding has become notably stricter (source-of-funds documentation, some rejections). The FX regime itself is open; the friction is at bank KYC.

Yerevan

PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Armenia (no currency/capital controls; AMD convertible) + Central Bank of Armenia FX regime

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Composite: the Armenian dram (AMD) is freely convertible with no capital or currency controls on personal funds; non-residents can open bank accounts and hold foreign-currency accounts; foreigners can register a sole proprietorship and bank easily; no FBAR-style foreign-asset disclosure regime for residents. Classified 'low' state control over personal money flows. Inputs: PwC Armenia tax summaries and Central Bank of Armenia foreign-exchange rules.
Notes: Armenia has been a notably open banking destination for relocating remote workers since 2022. No IMF AREAER capital-control flags of note for personal transfers were found; re-verify against AREAER next cycle.

Infrastructure

3 verified facts

CriterionTbilisiYerevan

01+−Domestic delivery qualityTbilisistrongerGoodYerevanBasic

What this measures

Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.

Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days

Tbilisi

Georgian Post + courier service pages (composite)

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Method: Georgian Post ~500 branches nationwide (1–3 day domestic parcels, some lockers/pickup points); Wolt Drive and Glovo last-mile in Tbilisi/Batumi; DHL/FedEx/UPS present. Dense and reliable in cities; locker density and nationwide same-day coverage thinner than EU leaders → good, not excellent.

Yerevan

HayPost (national postal operator) service network + private courier presence

Curated by SettleMetric

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: HayPost operates the national branch network with domestic parcel and EMS delivery; private couriers (local same-day services in Yerevan, plus international DHL/FedEx/UPS agents) cover the capital well. Reliable but not a dense next-day parcel-locker market like the EU leaders; delivery is mostly to-door or branch pickup, typically a few days outside Yerevan. Classified 'basic'.
Notes: Curated classification from the national operator's coverage and courier presence; no official nationwide next-day SLA or parcel-locker density figures were obtained. Re-verify with HayPost service standards next cycle.

02+−International delivery easeTbilisistrongerMinor frictionYerevanSignificant friction

What this measures

Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.

Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days

Tbilisi

Revenue Service of Georgia — customs procedures

Official source

Data as of: Jul 3, 2026
Verified: Jul 3, 2026
Notes: Georgia is outside the EU/EAEU. Personal-import de minimis: 300 GEL (≈ $113) and ≤ 30 kg, once per calendar month, exempt; above that, 18% import VAT + 0–12% duty + a small customs fee. All major integrators (DHL, FedEx, UPS, Aramex) present. Predictable but the low monthly de-minimis cap adds friction.

Yerevan

State Revenue Committee of Armenia — customs / import rules (de-minimis and clearance for parcels)

Official source

Data as of: Jul 4, 2026
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Notes: Landlocked country with closed borders to two neighbours (Turkey, Azerbaijan); inbound goods route via Georgia or air. Major carriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) serve Yerevan, but customs clearance on personal imports involves paperwork and duties above a modest de-minimis, and many marketplaces do not ship directly to Armenia. Classified 'significant-friction'. The exact de-minimis threshold and clearance timelines were not extracted from the SRC customs pages in this pass — flagged to confirm the specific regulation next cycle.

03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadTbilisi15.8Yerevanstronger16.4

What this measures

Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.

Higher is better· Mbps, median fixed download· re-verified every 365 days

Tbilisi

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Georgia

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 47,852 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; the 2024 file is only Jan–Mar, and 2025/2026 are not yet published). Georgia sits under continent code AS in M-Lab.
Notes: M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Cross-check: the World Bank's July-2024 median of ~20 Mbps (Ookla-derived, so not citable here) is consistent with this once the M-Lab-reads-low offset is accounted for. Speeds are trending up (~10%/yr: M-Lab yearly medians ran 9.7 in 2020 → 15.8 in 2023), so multi-year pooling would understate current speed; the latest full year is used instead. GNCC/comcom.ge publishes operator quality-of-service measurements (e.g. Magticom fixed ~56 Mb/s advertised-tier average, 2025/26) but no national measured median, and its own speed commentary relies on the same Ookla data we can't redistribute.

Yerevan

M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Armenia (2023 daily stats)

Open data

Data as of: Dec 31, 2023
Verified: Jul 4, 2026
Method: Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 30,840 download tests, 2023 — the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API. Same methodology as other SettleMetric countries.
Notes: M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures (Ookla reported ~57 Mbps for Armenia in Jan 2025) — the two are not comparable and must not be mixed within this criterion. This is the low-consistent-methodology figure; real-world fibre in Yerevan is considerably faster.

Language

1 verified fact

CriterionTbilisiYerevan

01+−English proficiencyTbilisistrongerHighYerevanModerate

What this measures

Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.

Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days

Tbilisi