Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,035 in Nelson versus $1,185 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,074 in Nelson versus $1,834 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,112 in Nelson versus $2,483 in Tbilisi.

Living in Nelson is roughly 72% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nelson is 52% above, Tbilisi is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 NZ$36.32

$11.15 ₾30.00

90.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.8 NZ$142

$43.13 ₾116

91.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 NZ$16.30

$8.22 ₾22.11

15.94%

Cappuccino

$3.22 NZ$5.51

$3.13 ₾8.42

2.88%

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

$2.57 NZ$4.39

$0.74 ₾2.00

247.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NZ$4.54

$0.45 ₾1.22

491.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 NZ$12.13

$2.13 ₾5.74

233.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 NZ$10.23

$2.99 ₾8.06

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NZ$4.11

$1.89 ₾5.09

26.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.79

$0.73 ₾1.97

204.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.84

$1.85 ₾4.98

21.62%

Eggs

$6.04 NZ$10.32

$2.45 ₾6.58

146.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 NZ$17.35

$7.85 ₾21.12

29.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 NZ$13.52

$6.25 ₾16.82

26.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.01 NZ$27.37

$9.77 ₾26.28

63.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 NZ$6.20

$1.21 ₾3.26

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.40

$1.59 ₾4.28

61.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NZ$5.36

$1.79 ₾4.81

74.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 NZ$11.10

$2.32 ₾6.25

179.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 NZ$6.56

$0.71 ₾1.91

440.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 NZ$4.45

$0.67 ₾1.81

288.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NZ$4.33

$1.18 ₾3.16

114.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 NZ$2.11

$0.71 ₾1.92

73.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.93 NZ$51.2

$2.92 ₾7.85

925.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 NZ$17.38

$7.25 ₾19.50

40.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.33

$1.55 ₾4.17

101.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 NZ$7.90

$2.31 ₾6.21

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 NZ$4.08

$0.38 ₾1.03

526.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 NZ$110

$14.81 ₾39.83

334.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.18 NZ$7.15

$1.48 ₾3.98

182.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.09

$0.69 ₾1.86

162.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.59 NZ$59.1

$7.45 ₾20.05

364.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$1.15 ₾3.10

50.43%

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

$18.3K NZ$31.3K

$18.0K ₾48.4K

1.57%

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

$22.1K NZ$37.7K

$19.8K ₾53.4K

11.18%

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

$223 NZ$381

$73.4 ₾198

203.70%

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

$35.98 NZ$61.5

$11.64 ₾31.32

209.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 NZ$86.2

$17.77 ₾47.79

183.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.12 NZ$82.3

$60.6 ₾163

-20.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.17 NZ$36.20

$16.44 ₾44.21

28.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 NZ$17.42

$6.51 ₾17.52

56.53%

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

$487 NZ$833

$263 ₾707

85.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

$5,136 ₾13.8K

136.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 NZ$102

$77.7 ₾209

-23.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 NZ$114

$44.39 ₾119

49.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NZ$229

$118 ₾317

13.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NZ$191

$114 ₾307

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 NZ$1,653

$693 ₾1,865

39.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NZ$1,247

$462 ₾1,244

57.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 NZ$2,416

$1,337 ₾3,597

5.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 NZ$2,053

$779 ₾2,096

54.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,870 NZ$6,618

$2,530 ₾6,805

52.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,143 NZ$5,374

$1,430 ₾3,847

119.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,089 NZ$3,573

$633 ₾1,702

230.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.89

-42.64%

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

Last update for Nelson: April 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $966 in Nelson and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nelson pays 230% 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: $83.0 in Nelson vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $206 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

Nelson vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Nelson. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Nelson pays 230% more on average, 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: $966 in Nelson versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Nelson. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $83.0 in Nelson. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,185 in Tbilisi versus $2,035 in Nelson, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Nelson. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,185 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nelson 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 72% less than in Nelson. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.