Living in Georgia 🇬🇪 on VA + military retirement income — the real numbers
Georgia lets US citizens live visa-free for a full year with zero income requirement and taxes only local income — extraordinarily low-friction entry; tradeoffs are a floating lari, a 10-year closed-dual citizenship path, and work rights that now need a separate permit.
The monthly math
| Tier | All-in / mo (household of 4) | Rent 3BR | Utilities | Transport | Private healthcare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital · Tbilisi | $3,304 | $884 | $88 | $15 | — |
| Coastal · Batumi | $2,707 | $628 | $73 | $11 | — |
Groceries and everything else live inside the all-in total; “—” means the line item isn't published, not zero. Cost data: numbeo.com, as of 2026-07.
Local median household income isn't published for Georgia — we omit the purchasing-power comparison rather than guess.
Visa, citizenship & work
Visa-free stay of 365 days for US citizens (no residency or income requirement); residence permits for longer stays
Visa-free stay grants no work rights; a Special Labour Activity Permit is required to work (since Mar 2026)
10 years to naturalization. 10 yrs residence; dual generally requires renouncing prior citizenship (Presidential exception only). · Dual citizenship not generally allowed
VA healthcare reality
VA Foreign Medical Program (service-connected only)
None in Georgia.
Tax on US income
Territorial — foreign-source income is exempt; 20% flat tax on Georgian-source income only; no US tax treaty (US worldwide tax still applies). VA disability is US-tax-exempt.
Tax positions are fact-specific — treat this as a dated snapshot from the sources below, not advice.
Straight answers
How much does it cost a veteran family of four to live in Georgia?
Does VA healthcare work in Georgia?
What visa or status lets a US veteran live in Georgia?
Can a US citizen eventually get citizenship in Georgia?
Run your numbers, free
Enter your VA rating, retirement, and TSP income — the Freedom Index ranks all 29 destinations by how far your money actually stretches, with every figure dated and sourced.
Open the Freedom Index →Sources & dates
- Cost of living: numbeo.com as of 2026-07
- Visa / residency: matsne.gov.ge as of 2026-02
- Citizenship: matsne.gov.ge as of 2026-07
- Healthcare: va.gov as of 2026-07
- Median income: geostat.ge as of 2024