Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $1,266 in Tbilisi.

Palmerston North $1,562
Tbilisi $1,266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Palmerston North versus $2,007 in Tbilisi.

Palmerston North $2,537
Tbilisi $2,007

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Palmerston North versus $2,749 in Tbilisi.

Palmerston North $3,511
Tbilisi $2,749

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 23% more expensive than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palmerston North is 16% above, Tbilisi is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$11.34 ₾29.35

19.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$39.05 ₾101

63.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$9.63 ₾24.92

-8.62%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$3.46 ₾8.95

-9.54%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$1.09 ₾2.82

116.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$0.63 ₾1.62

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$2.77 ₾7.17

132.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$3.10 ₾8.04

110.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$2.25 ₾5.81

-18.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$0.80 ₾2.07

167.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$1.76 ₾4.55

-22.16%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$2.75 ₾7.11

76.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$9.39 ₾24.32

-31.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$6.66 ₾17.23

42.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$12.92 ₾33.45

-16.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$1.67 ₾4.31

52.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.80 ₾4.65

23.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$1.92 ₾4.97

19.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$2.41 ₾6.24

129.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$0.86 ₾2.23

63.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$0.69 ₾1.80

24.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$1.40 ₾3.62

22.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$0.71 ₾1.85

5.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$3.51 ₾9.08

528.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$7.61 ₾19.69

3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$1.63 ₾4.21

62.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$2.31 ₾5.98

20.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$0.37 ₾0.96

962.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$15.67 ₾40.57

425.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$1.14 ₾2.95

64.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$0.79 ₾2.05

125.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$11.86 ₾30.70

40.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.40 ₾3.62

17.14%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$24.8K ₾64.2K

-13.00%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$21.9K ₾56.6K

9.46%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$89.1 ₾231

-23.45%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$13.21 ₾34.19

142.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$19.76 ₾51.1

75.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$64.9 ₾168

-66.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$19.02 ₾49.24

-25.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$6.57 ₾17.02

76.56%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$377 ₾975

174.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$10.8K ₾27.9K

-20.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$102 ₾265

-31.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$39.70 ₾103

-30.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$118 ₾305

-29.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$123 ₾320

-33.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$666 ₾1,724

35.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$449 ₾1,163

42.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$1,284 ₾3,324

23.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$890 ₾2,303

47.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$2,425 ₾6,276

-16.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$1,380 ₾3,573

33.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$680 ₾1,760

266.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

12.62

-57.29%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Tbilisi

$449 35.5% 29.7% $189

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Tbilisi

$234 18.5% 17.5% $49

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Tbilisi

$188 14.9% 19.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Tbilisi

$122 9.7% 9.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Tbilisi

$172 13.6% 45.8% $54

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Tbilisi

$22 1.8% 79.5% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 73.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Palmerston North and $666 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 267% 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: $64.0 in Palmerston North vs $39.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $234 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

04:30 4:30 AM

9 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Palmerston North Tbilisi 15,940 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
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

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

Palmerston North and Tbilisi differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,562 vs $1,266 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 267% higher in Palmerston North, 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: $906 in Palmerston North versus $666 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,034 in Palmerston North versus $377 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $1,562 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 23% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.