Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,714 in Palmerston North versus $1,209 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,743 in Palmerston North versus $1,867 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Palmerston North versus $2,526 in Tbilisi.

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 42% more expensive than Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palmerston North is 28% above, Tbilisi is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 NZ$27.84

$10.80 ₾28.71

52.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 NZ$120

$43.18 ₾115

65.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 NZ$20.62

$8.29 ₾22.04

47.29%

Cappuccino

$3.57 NZ$6.03

$3.00 ₾7.97

19.00%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.02

$0.82 ₾2.17

190.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$0.46 ₾1.21

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 NZ$12.07

$2.23 ₾5.93

220.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 NZ$10.65

$2.92 ₾7.75

116.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 NZ$3.40

$1.93 ₾5.12

4.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$0.68 ₾1.81

208.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.95

$1.88 ₾5.00

-6.91%

Eggs

$5.23 NZ$8.82

$2.54 ₾6.74

105.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$13.95

$7.42 ₾19.70

11.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 NZ$15.58

$6.19 ₾16.44

49.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 NZ$21.27

$9.36 ₾24.87

34.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.23

$1.22 ₾3.25

105.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.04

$1.66 ₾4.40

8.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.15

$1.80 ₾4.78

36.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.63

$2.24 ₾5.96

49.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.64

$0.71 ₾1.89

204.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$0.67 ₾1.79

225.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.45

$1.18 ₾3.13

72.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.65

$0.66 ₾1.76

46.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.54 NZ$34.68

$2.98 ₾7.91

589.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 NZ$15.27

$7.61 ₾20.22

18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.26

$1.54 ₾4.08

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 NZ$9.14

$2.25 ₾5.99

140.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 NZ$7.98

$0.36 ₾0.95

1211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.37 NZ$51.3

$14.44 ₾38.38

110.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 NZ$4.18

$1.49 ₾3.97

65.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.11

$0.68 ₾1.82

170.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 NZ$28.73

$7.23 ₾19.20

135.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.92

$1.14 ₾3.04

51.75%

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

$18.8K NZ$31.7K

$18.5K ₾49.1K

1.84%

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

$21.8K NZ$36.7K

$20.0K ₾53.1K

8.97%

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

$89.8 NZ$152

$73.7 ₾196

21.88%

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

$37.60 NZ$63.5

$11.64 ₾30.92

223.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NZ$81.7

$17.84 ₾47.41

171.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 NZ$58.7

$60.1 ₾160

-42.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 NZ$22.22

$16.80 ₾44.65

-21.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 NZ$15.20

$6.60 ₾17.55

36.36%

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

$1,004 NZ$1,694

$266 ₾708

276.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,168 NZ$10.4K

$5,191 ₾13.8K

18.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NZ$97.3

$77.7 ₾206

-25.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 NZ$63.6

$44.75 ₾119

-15.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 NZ$154

$117 ₾310

-21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 NZ$158

$113 ₾300

-17.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 NZ$1,416

$693 ₾1,840

21.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NZ$1,162

$462 ₾1,227

49.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 NZ$2,614

$1,320 ₾3,507

17.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 NZ$2,347

$774 ₾2,057

79.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 NZ$3,714

$2,430 ₾6,458

-9.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 NZ$3,324

$1,446 ₾3,842

36.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,671 NZ$4,509

$673 ₾1,788

296.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

11.89

-43.73%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Palmerston North and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 297% 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: $71.0 in Palmerston North vs $43.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $203 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

Palmerston North vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palmerston North and Tbilisi differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,714 vs $1,209 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Palmerston North pays 297% 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: $839 in Palmerston North versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,004 in Palmerston North versus $266 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $1,714 in Palmerston North, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. 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, Palmerston North 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 42% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.