Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,317 per month in Cairns vs $1,209 in Tbilisi, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,472 per month in Cairns vs $1,867 in Tbilisi, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,627 per month in Cairns vs $2,526 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Cairns costs about 92% more than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cairns sits 73% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 A$16.15

$10.80 ₾28.71

7.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 A$113

$43.18 ₾115

88.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 A$15.16

$8.29 ₾22.04

31.24%

Cappuccino

$3.75 A$5.23

$3.00 ₾7.97

25.00%

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

$2.84 A$3.96

$0.82 ₾2.17

246.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.21

$0.46 ₾1.21

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 A$8.96

$2.23 ₾5.93

188.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 A$9.70

$2.92 ₾7.75

138.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.42

$1.93 ₾5.12

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 A$3.40

$0.68 ₾1.81

258.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.74

$1.88 ₾5.00

42.55%

Eggs

$4.00 A$5.58

$2.54 ₾6.74

57.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 A$11.40

$7.42 ₾19.70

10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$12.90

$6.19 ₾16.44

49.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 A$17.78

$9.36 ₾24.87

36.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$1.22 ₾3.25

144.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.10

$1.66 ₾4.40

34.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.83

$1.80 ₾4.78

52.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.39 A$10.30

$2.24 ₾5.96

229.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.11

$0.71 ₾1.89

214.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.25

$0.67 ₾1.79

247.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.16

$1.18 ₾3.13

92.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 A$3.99

$0.66 ₾1.76

333.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.71 A$40.01

$2.98 ₾7.91

863.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 A$16.02

$7.61 ₾20.22

51.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 A$4.74

$1.54 ₾4.08

120.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 A$4.86

$2.25 ₾5.99

55.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 A$4.56

$0.36 ₾0.95

808.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$90.5

$14.44 ₾38.38

349.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 A$9.26

$1.49 ₾3.97

345.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 A$4.44

$0.68 ₾1.82

369.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.95 A$47.31

$7.23 ₾19.20

369.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.53

$1.14 ₾3.04

-3.51%

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

$22.8K A$31.8K

$18.5K ₾49.1K

23.51%

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

$19.1K A$26.7K

$20.0K ₾53.1K

-4.13%

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

$149 A$207

$73.7 ₾196

101.97%

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

$37.35 A$52.1

$11.64 ₾30.92

220.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$81.6

$17.84 ₾47.41

228.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 A$53.9

$60.1 ₾160

-35.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 A$22.23

$16.80 ₾44.65

-5.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 A$18.45

$6.60 ₾17.55

100.61%

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

$1,636 A$2,280

$266 ₾708

513.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$5,191 ₾13.8K

129.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 A$116

$77.7 ₾206

7.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 A$92.8

$44.75 ₾119

48.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$117 ₾310

-13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 A$194

$113 ₾300

23.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 A$1,714

$693 ₾1,840

77.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 A$1,548

$462 ₾1,227

140.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 A$2,769

$1,320 ₾3,507

50.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 A$2,601

$774 ₾2,057

141.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,707 A$9,347

$2,430 ₾6,458

175.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,132 A$7,151

$1,446 ₾3,842

254.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,549 A$6,338

$673 ₾1,788

576.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.96

11.89

-41.46%

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

Last update for Cairns: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,230 in Cairns versus $693 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 576% 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 $81.0 in Cairns versus $43.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $203 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 92% more than Tbilisi, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,476 per month in Cairns and $1,813 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 $81.0 in Cairns and $43.00 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 $1,209, than in Cairns at $2,317. 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 $1,209 versus $2,317 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.