Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $2,501 in Cairns, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
Learn more

Cairns Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index

Jump to prices

Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,501

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairns 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 Cairns and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,501 per month in Cairns vs $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Cairns $2,501
Tbilisi $1,266

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Cairns vs $2,007 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Cairns $3,716
Tbilisi $2,007

A family of three spends $4,931 per month in Cairns vs $2,749 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Cairns $4,931
Tbilisi $2,749

Cairns costs about 98% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairns sits 85% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 A$25.00

$11.34 ₾29.35

53.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 A$138

$39.05 ₾101

144.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 A$18.15

$9.63 ₾24.92

31.05%

Cappuccino

$4.23 A$6.08

$3.46 ₾8.95

22.25%

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

$3.27 A$4.70

$1.09 ₾2.82

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 A$3.95

$0.63 ₾1.62

336.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 A$10.25

$2.77 ₾7.17

157.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.39 A$12.07

$3.10 ₾8.04

170.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.64

$2.25 ₾5.81

-18.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 A$3.87

$0.80 ₾2.07

236.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.76 ₾4.55

43.18%

Eggs

$5.33 A$7.68

$2.75 ₾7.11

93.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.04

$9.39 ₾24.32

-3.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 A$19.49

$6.66 ₾17.23

103.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 A$21.44

$12.92 ₾33.45

15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 A$6.02

$1.67 ₾4.31

150.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.09

$1.80 ₾4.65

57.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 A$5.32

$1.92 ₾4.97

92.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 A$8.50

$2.41 ₾6.24

145.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.86 ₾2.23

186.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$0.69 ₾1.80

272.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 A$4.09

$1.40 ₾3.62

102.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.61

$0.71 ₾1.85

253.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.51 A$64.1

$3.51 ₾9.08

1168.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 A$19.95

$7.61 ₾19.69

82.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 A$5.25

$1.63 ₾4.21

123.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.55

$2.31 ₾5.98

127.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 A$5.13

$0.37 ₾0.96

862.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.08 A$21.70

$15.67 ₾40.57

-3.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 A$3.61

$1.14 ₾2.95

120.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 A$2.83

$0.79 ₾2.05

149.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.45 A$59.7

$11.86 ₾30.70

249.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.77

$1.40 ₾3.62

-12.14%

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

$30.8K A$44.3K

$24.8K ₾64.2K

24.23%

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

$40.7K A$58.6K

$21.9K ₾56.6K

86.40%

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

$165 A$238

$89.1 ₾231

85.63%

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

$34.27 A$49.32

$13.21 ₾34.19

159.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 A$93.4

$19.76 ₾51.1

228.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.80 A$63.0

$64.9 ₾168

-32.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.43 A$39.48

$19.02 ₾49.24

44.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 A$19.79

$6.57 ₾17.02

109.28%

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

$2,100 A$3,022

$377 ₾975

457.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K A$20.3K

$10.8K ₾27.9K

30.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 A$130

$102 ₾265

-11.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 A$103

$39.70 ₾103

79.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$179

$118 ₾305

5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$123 ₾320

5.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 A$2,071

$666 ₾1,724

116.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,760

$449 ₾1,163

172.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,270 A$3,267

$1,284 ₾3,324

76.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 A$2,791

$890 ₾2,303

117.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,429 A$9,251

$2,425 ₾6,276

165.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 A$7,078

$1,380 ₾3,573

256.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,424 A$6,366

$680 ₾1,760

550.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

12.62

-49.92%

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

Last update for Cairns: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9%

Tbilisi

$449 35.5% 63.3% $774

Groceries & Markets

Cairns

$409 16.4%

Tbilisi

$234 18.5% 42.9% $175

Eating Out

Cairns

$304 12.2%

Tbilisi

$188 14.9% 38.1% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairns

$265 10.6%

Tbilisi

$122 9.7% 53.9% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Cairns

$187 7.5%

Tbilisi

$172 13.6% 7.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cairns

$71 2.9%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 9.5% $6.8

Getting Around

Cairns

$42 1.7%

Tbilisi

$22 1.8% 46.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,439 in Cairns versus $666 in Tbilisi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 551% higher in Cairns, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cairns versus $39.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Cairns

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

20:40 8:40 PM

6 h behind Cairns

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,181

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cairns Tbilisi 12,150 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairns
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

Cairns vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 98% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,751 per month in Cairns and $1,899 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cairns and $39.00 in Tbilisi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Cairns at $2,501. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,266 versus $2,501 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.