Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Avarua

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,638 in Avarua, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Avarua outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Avarua

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Avarua

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tbilisi and in Avarua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,638 in Avarua, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Avarua $1,638

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,652 in Avarua, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Avarua $1,652

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,666 in Avarua, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Avarua $1,666

Tbilisi is about 23% cheaper than Avarua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Avarua is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$11.47 NZ$20.45

1.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$57.6 NZ$103

-34.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$8.47 NZ$15.09

14.05%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.16 NZ$5.64

12.97%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.24 NZ$3.99

-51.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.30 NZ$4.10

-75.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$5.61 NZ$10.00

-53.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$4.20 NZ$7.48

-27.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.66 NZ$2.96

30.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$3.33 NZ$5.93

-75.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.68 NZ$2.99

3.57%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$4.76 NZ$8.49

-40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$11.58 NZ$20.64

-19.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$7.88 NZ$14.05

-17.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$10.39 NZ$18.52

24.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$2.81 NZ$5.01

-40.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.68 NZ$3.00

10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$3.50 NZ$6.24

-43.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$9.14 NZ$16.28

-73.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.82 NZ$5.02

-70.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-66.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.23 NZ$3.98

-39.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$2.91 NZ$5.19

-73.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$14.24 NZ$25.38

-46.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$4.18 NZ$7.45

-42.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.82 NZ$5.03

-85.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$2.19 NZ$3.90

-33.79%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

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

$88.8 ₾230

$112 NZ$199

-20.62%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

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

$375 ₾971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$968 NZ$1,725

-28.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$947 NZ$1,687

-52.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$115 NZ$205

1079.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$944 NZ$1,683

42.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Avarua: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Avarua

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Avarua

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Avarua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Avarua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Avarua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Avarua

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Avarua

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $968 in Avarua. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $58 in Avarua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $358 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇨🇰 Avarua

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

06:05 6:05 AM

14 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

5,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Avarua 16,780 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Avarua

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

Tbilisi vs Avarua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Avarua costs about 29% more than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $2,457 in Avarua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $968 in Avarua.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,638 in Avarua. That’s a gap of about 29%.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Avarua, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,638 in Avarua, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,269 in Tbilisi to $1,638 in Avarua. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.