Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,910 in Melbourne versus $1,279 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,408 in Melbourne versus $2,011 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,905 in Melbourne versus $2,743 in Tbilisi.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 128% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 111% above, Tbilisi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.41 A$25.66

$11.43 ₾29.72

61.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 A$121

$38.16 ₾99.2

126.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.38

$9.40 ₾24.45

32.55%

Cappuccino

$4.17 A$5.81

$3.38 ₾8.78

23.37%

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

$3.15 A$4.40

$1.04 ₾2.70

202.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 A$3.70

$0.60 ₾1.56

341.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 A$14.01

$2.71 ₾7.05

270.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.51 A$11.86

$3.04 ₾7.90

179.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 A$2.25

$2.27 ₾5.90

-29.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 A$4.58

$0.79 ₾2.04

316.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.21

$1.62 ₾4.21

86.42%

Eggs

$6.00 A$8.36

$2.74 ₾7.13

118.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.42

$9.30 ₾24.19

18.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 A$13.83

$6.79 ₾17.65

46.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 A$22.12

$13.01 ₾33.84

21.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.15

$1.64 ₾4.27

168.90%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.49

$1.83 ₾4.77

75.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.80

$1.90 ₾4.94

81.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 A$6.85

$2.57 ₾6.68

91.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.37

$0.84 ₾2.19

273.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.71

$0.65 ₾1.70

309.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 A$3.51

$1.36 ₾3.54

85.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.36

$0.80 ₾2.07

111.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.21 A$64.4

$3.40 ₾8.85

1259.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 A$17.54

$7.67 ₾19.94

64.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 A$7.54

$1.68 ₾4.36

222.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.43

$2.38 ₾6.18

123.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 A$5.62

$0.39 ₾1.02

933.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$198

$15.55 ₾40.44

812.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 A$6.56

$1.14 ₾2.96

313.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$1.97

$0.74 ₾1.93

90.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.32 A$43.67

$11.32 ₾29.42

176.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.99

$1.38 ₾3.60

3.62%

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

$29.5K A$41.1K

$24.6K ₾63.9K

19.86%

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

$27.0K A$37.6K

$22.0K ₾57.2K

22.56%

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

$239 A$334

$88.7 ₾231

169.63%

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

$28.19 A$39.30

$13.18 ₾34.26

113.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 A$79.9

$19.68 ₾51.2

191.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 A$77.9

$68.3 ₾177

-18.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 A$31.68

$17.94 ₾46.65

26.64%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 A$24.94

$6.42 ₾16.70

178.66%

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

$2,456 A$3,424

$372 ₾967

560.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K A$44.0K

$10.8K ₾28.1K

191.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$115

$105 ₾272

-21.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 A$72.6

$38.83 ₾101

34.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$168

$115 ₾299

4.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 A$191

$122 ₾318

11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,477

$681 ₾1,770

161.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 A$2,032

$456 ₾1,185

219.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 A$4,965

$1,312 ₾3,410

171.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,568 A$3,581

$892 ₾2,321

187.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,269 A$10.1K

$2,391 ₾6,216

204.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,897 A$9,616

$1,425 ₾3,704

384.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,459 A$6,217

$640 ₾1,663

597.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

12.62

-53.72%

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

Last update for Melbourne: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,777 in Melbourne and $681 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 597% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86.0 in Melbourne vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $236 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

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

Melbourne vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Tbilisi differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($2,910 vs $1,279 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 597% higher in Melbourne, 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: $1,777 in Melbourne versus $681 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,456 in Melbourne versus $372 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,279 in Tbilisi versus $2,910 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. 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, Melbourne and Tbilisi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.