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: $2,038 in Nelson versus $1,191 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,077 in Nelson versus $1,856 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,116 in Nelson versus $2,522 in Tbilisi.

Living in Nelson is roughly 71% more expensive than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nelson is 53% above, Tbilisi is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.02 NZ$35.64

$10.91 ₾28.56

92.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 NZ$144

$43.19 ₾113

96.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 NZ$16.09

$8.53 ₾22.31

11.25%

Cappuccino

$3.32 NZ$5.63

$2.99 ₾7.81

11.04%

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

$2.55 NZ$4.32

$0.81 ₾2.12

214.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.68

$0.42 ₾1.09

557.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.40 NZ$12.54

$2.16 ₾5.65

242.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 NZ$10.02

$2.88 ₾7.52

105.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 NZ$4.04

$1.94 ₾5.08

22.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 NZ$3.95

$0.68 ₾1.77

242.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 NZ$3.98

$1.85 ₾4.83

27.03%

Eggs

$6.18 NZ$10.48

$2.53 ₾6.62

144.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 NZ$17.31

$7.53 ₾19.69

35.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 NZ$13.69

$6.26 ₾16.39

29.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 NZ$27.61

$9.59 ₾25.09

69.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 NZ$5.93

$1.16 ₾3.04

201.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.26

$1.64 ₾4.29

53.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.11

$1.88 ₾4.93

60.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.50 NZ$11.02

$2.23 ₾5.84

191.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 NZ$6.27

$0.70 ₾1.83

428.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 NZ$4.27

$0.64 ₾1.68

293.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NZ$4.37

$1.18 ₾3.09

118.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 NZ$2.09

$0.70 ₾1.83

75.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.17 NZ$51.2

$2.97 ₾7.78

915.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 NZ$16.97

$7.43 ₾19.45

34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 NZ$5.42

$1.54 ₾4.03

107.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 NZ$7.76

$2.28 ₾5.98

100.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 NZ$4.02

$0.36 ₾0.93

558.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 NZ$108

$14.73 ₾38.54

334.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 NZ$7.01

$1.42 ₾3.71

191.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NZ$3.17

$0.69 ₾1.81

171.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.60 NZ$58.7

$7.27 ₾19.02

375.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$2.92

$1.09 ₾2.86

57.80%

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

$18.2K NZ$30.8K

$18.3K ₾47.9K

-0.76%

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

$22.5K NZ$38.1K

$20.5K ₾53.6K

9.66%

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

$222 NZ$377

$74.4 ₾195

198.78%

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

$35.79 NZ$60.7

$11.71 ₾30.63

205.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.99 NZ$84.8

$17.60 ₾46.06

184.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.45 NZ$83.8

$60.3 ₾158

-17.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 NZ$36.32

$16.29 ₾42.63

31.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.05 NZ$17.04

$6.51 ₾17.03

54.38%

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

$485 NZ$823

$269 ₾704

80.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NZ$20.5K

$5,154 ₾13.5K

134.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 NZ$102

$77.1 ₾202

-22.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 NZ$112

$43.48 ₾114

51.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 NZ$225

$118 ₾310

11.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 NZ$191

$113 ₾295

-0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 NZ$1,649

$709 ₾1,856

37.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NZ$1,239

$465 ₾1,215

57.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 NZ$2,427

$1,316 ₾3,442

8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 NZ$2,048

$767 ₾2,007

57.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,768 NZ$6,388

$2,492 ₾6,522

51.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,053 NZ$5,176

$1,442 ₾3,773

111.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 NZ$3,999

$663 ₾1,735

255.83%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Nelson and $709 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nelson pays 256% 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: $85.0 in Nelson vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $204 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 71% 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.

Average pay runs 256% higher in Nelson, 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: $972 in Nelson versus $709 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% 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 $85.0 in Nelson. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,191 in Tbilisi versus $2,038 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 $1,191 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 71% less than in Nelson. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.