Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,209 in Mackay, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mackay, Australia
Tbilisi, Georgia
Mackay
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,209
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,209 per month in Mackay vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Mackay $2,209
  • Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $3,489 per month in Mackay vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Mackay $3,489
  • Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $4,769 per month in Mackay vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Mackay $4,769
  • Tbilisi $2,763

Mackay costs about 74% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mackay sits 62% above the global median, while Tbilisi is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mackay
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.22 A$24.47
$11.63 ₾30.07
48.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.8 A$108
$37.83 ₾97.8
100.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.42 A$17.65
$9.66 ₾24.98
28.57%
Cappuccino
$4.30 A$6.11
$3.57 ₾9.24
20.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 A$4.82
$1.08 ₾2.78
213.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 A$3.89
$0.56 ₾1.45
389.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.97 A$9.90
$2.62 ₾6.78
166.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.87 A$9.76
$3.04 ₾7.85
125.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mackay
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.90 A$2.70
$2.17 ₾5.60
-12.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.51 A$3.57
$0.80 ₾2.06
213.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 A$4.01
$1.74 ₾4.51
62.07%
Eggs
$6.02 A$8.55
$2.83 ₾7.31
112.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.70 A$13.78
$9.31 ₾24.07
4.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.53 A$12.12
$6.52 ₾16.85
30.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.45 A$23.37
$12.95 ₾33.50
27.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.69 A$5.24
$1.68 ₾4.34
119.64%
Banana (1kg)
$2.85 A$4.05
$1.85 ₾4.79
54.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.00 A$4.26
$1.97 ₾5.10
52.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.72 A$9.55
$2.42 ₾6.25
177.69%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 A$3.59
$0.82 ₾2.11
208.54%
Onion (1kg)
$2.56 A$3.64
$0.74 ₾1.91
245.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.24 A$4.61
$1.34 ₾3.47
141.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 A$4.43
$0.77 ₾2.00
303.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.23 A$62.8
$3.57 ₾9.24
1138.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.63 A$12.27
$7.67 ₾19.83
12.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.24 A$7.45
$1.70 ₾4.39
208.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.05 A$8.59
$2.40 ₾6.21
152.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Mackay
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.42 A$3.43
$0.40 ₾1.05
505.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.8 A$97.8
$15.23 ₾39.38
351.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.88 A$8.35
$1.14 ₾2.95
415.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.06 A$2.92
$0.78 ₾2.02
164.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.28 A$50.1
$11.83 ₾30.58
198.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 A$1.81
$1.45 ₾3.75
-12.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K A$38.5K
$24.6K ₾63.6K
10.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K A$50.4K
$22.3K ₾57.8K
58.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mackay
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$235 A$334
$88.8 ₾230
164.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.32 A$41.66
$13.12 ₾33.93
123.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$78.9 A$112
$19.67 ₾50.9
300.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mackay
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.0 A$73.9
$64.1 ₾166
-18.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.14 A$30.04
$19.04 ₾49.24
11.03%
Cinema Ticket
$16.46 A$23.38
$7.12 ₾18.42
131.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mackay
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,860 A$2,642
$375 ₾971
395.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,747 A$9,586
$10.5K ₾27.1K
-35.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mackay
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.1 A$101
$104 ₾268
-31.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.0 A$71.0
$39.26 ₾102
27.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 A$174
$117 ₾303
4.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 A$150
$122 ₾315
-13.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mackay
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$956 A$1,358
$695 ₾1,798
37.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$829 A$1,178
$451 ₾1,167
83.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,903 A$2,704
$1,355 ₾3,504
40.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,779 A$2,527
$906 ₾2,343
96.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,115 A$4,426
$2,295 ₾5,934
35.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,763 A$2,505
$1,345 ₾3,478
31.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mackay
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,517 A$7,839
$664 ₾1,718
730.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.63
12.62
-55.39%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mackay
$829
Tbilisi
$451 45.6% $378
Groceries & Markets
Mackay
$400
Tbilisi
$234 41.6% $166
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mackay
$343
Tbilisi
$122 64.5% $221
Eating Out
Mackay
$300
Tbilisi
$191 36.4% $109
Clothing & Footwear
Mackay
$157
Tbilisi
$172 9.5% $15
Getting Around
Mackay
$95
Tbilisi
$22 76.9% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Mackay
$85
Tbilisi
$78 7.8% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Mackay versus $695 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 in Mackay are about 8.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Mackay versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $234 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Mackay
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
02:47 2:47 AM
20:47 8:47 PM
6 h behind Mackay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
80,455
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mackay Tbilisi 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mackay
  • 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
Mackay vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tbilisi cheaper than Mackay?
Yes – Mackay is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,314 per month in Mackay and $1,904 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $956 in Mackay.
How do food prices compare in Mackay and in Tbilisi?
Groceries cost about 71% more in Mackay, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Mackay or in Tbilisi?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Mackay and $38 in Tbilisi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Mackay or in Tbilisi?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Mackay at $2,209. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mackay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mackay or Tbilisi more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Mackay or Tbilisi?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mackay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Mackay vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?