Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balga and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,762 in Balga, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Balga
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Balga Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Balga

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,762

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balga and in Tbilisi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Balga and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,762 in Balga versus $1,269 in Tbilisi.

Balga $2,762
Tbilisi $1,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,828 in Balga versus $2,016 in Tbilisi.

Balga $3,828
Tbilisi $2,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,893 in Balga versus $2,763 in Tbilisi.

Balga $4,893
Tbilisi $2,763

Living in Balga is roughly 118% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balga is 103% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.97 A$29.81

$11.63 ₾30.06

80.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 A$118

$37.83 ₾97.8

119.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 A$15.83

$9.66 ₾24.98

15.22%

Cappuccino

$4.62 A$6.57

$3.57 ₾9.24

29.41%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 A$3.98

$1.08 ₾2.78

159.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.27

$0.56 ₾1.45

310.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 A$11.93

$2.62 ₾6.78

220.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.73

$3.04 ₾7.85

171.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.47

$2.17 ₾5.60

-19.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.47

$0.80 ₾2.06

292.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.80

$1.74 ₾4.51

13.22%

Eggs

$5.09 A$7.24

$2.83 ₾7.31

79.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 A$13.17

$9.31 ₾24.07

-0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 A$13.45

$6.52 ₾16.85

45.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.53

$12.95 ₾33.49

6.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 A$6.49

$1.68 ₾4.33

171.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.56

$1.85 ₾4.79

73.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.07

$1.97 ₾5.10

80.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.85 A$6.89

$2.42 ₾6.25

100.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.05

$0.82 ₾2.11

247.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.74

$0.74 ₾1.91

160.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.22

$1.34 ₾3.47

68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$0.77 ₾2.00

74.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.17 A$60.0

$3.57 ₾9.23

1081.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 A$17.71

$7.67 ₾19.83

62.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$1.70 ₾4.39

155.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 A$5.00

$2.40 ₾6.21

46.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.80

$0.40 ₾1.05

567.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$112

$15.23 ₾39.38

415.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 A$5.14

$1.14 ₾2.95

216.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.98

$0.78 ₾2.02

78.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.13 A$58.5

$11.83 ₾30.58

247.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.45 ₾3.75

-6.90%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.9K A$42.5K

$24.6K ₾63.6K

21.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.8K A$39.6K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

24.68%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$207 A$294

$88.8 ₾230

132.58%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$33.27 A$47.30

$13.12 ₾33.93

153.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 A$90.3

$19.67 ₾50.9

222.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 A$89.0

$64.1 ₾166

-2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 A$27.39

$19.04 ₾49.23

1.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 A$24.54

$7.12 ₾18.42

142.42%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,271 A$3,228

$375 ₾971

504.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K A$33.8K

$10.5K ₾27.1K

126.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$104 ₾268

-24.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 A$90.2

$39.26 ₾102

61.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$175

$117 ₾303

4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 A$234

$122 ₾315

35.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 A$2,086

$695 ₾1,798

110.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 A$1,945

$451 ₾1,167

203.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 A$2,843

$1,355 ₾3,504

47.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 A$2,532

$906 ₾2,343

96.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,422 A$9,130

$2,295 ₾5,934

179.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 A$6,240

$1,345 ₾3,477

226.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,358 A$4,775

$664 ₾1,718

405.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

12.62

-52.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Balga: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Balga

$1.4K 49.5%

Tbilisi

$451 35.6% 67% $917

Groceries & Markets

Balga

$365 13.2%

Tbilisi

$234 18.4% 35.9% $131

Eating Out

Balga

$335 12.1%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 43.2% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balga

$303 11%

Tbilisi

$122 9.6% 59.9% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Balga

$193 7%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 11.1% $21

Getting Around

Balga

$100 3.6%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 78.1% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Balga

$97 3.5%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 19.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,467 in Balga and $695 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balga pays about 5.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Balga vs $38 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Balga

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

16:41 4:41 PM

4 h behind Balga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,685

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Balga Tbilisi 10,930 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Balga
Tbilisi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Balga vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,762 in Balga and $1,269 in Tbilisi, so Tbilisi is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Balga is about 5.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,467 in Balga versus $695 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $83 in Balga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,762 per month in Balga versus $1,269 in Tbilisi – Tbilisi is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,762 in Balga, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Balga. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Balga and Tbilisi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Balga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.