Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ballarat

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,907 in Ballarat, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Ballarat, Australia
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Ballarat
🇦🇺 Australia
$1,907
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Ballarat

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 Ballarat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,907 in Ballarat.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Ballarat $1,907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $3,040 in Ballarat.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Ballarat $3,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $4,172 in Ballarat.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Ballarat $4,172

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 33% less than in Ballarat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Ballarat is 40% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Ballarat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$17.26 A$24.53
-32.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$69.7 A$99.0
-45.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$10.44 A$14.83
-7.47%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$3.72 A$5.28
-4.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$2.95 A$4.19
-63.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$1.73 A$2.46
-67.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$6.26 A$8.89
-58.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$6.18 A$8.79
-50.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Ballarat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.55 A$2.20
40.00%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$2.81 A$3.99
-71.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$2.23 A$3.17
-21.97%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$4.17 A$5.92
-32.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$10.43 A$14.82
-10.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$10.13 A$14.39
-35.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$15.20 A$21.60
-14.80%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.34
$3.61 A$5.13
-53.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$3.10 A$4.40
-40.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$3.23 A$4.58
-39.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$4.47 A$6.36
-45.86%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$3.10 A$4.40
-73.55%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$2.46 A$3.50
-69.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$2.34 A$3.32
-42.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$1.50 A$2.14
-48.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$35.41 A$50.3
-89.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$12.65 A$17.98
-39.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$2.33 A$3.30
-27.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$3.19 A$4.54
-24.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Ballarat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
$2.76 A$3.92
-85.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
$71.1 A$101
-78.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$2.58 A$3.67
-55.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$1.32 A$1.87
-40.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$26.48 A$37.62
-55.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$1.22 A$1.74
18.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$29.7K A$42.2K
-17.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$25.4K A$36.1K
-12.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Ballarat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$207 A$294
-57.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$27.77 A$39.46
-52.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$57.1 A$81.2
-65.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Ballarat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$31.65 A$44.97
102.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
$11.37 A$16.15
67.46%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$15.14 A$21.51
-52.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Ballarat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$2,198 A$3,123
-82.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$30.0K A$42.6K
-65.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Ballarat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$70.6 A$100
46.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$49.59 A$70.5
-20.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$100 A$142
17.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$134 A$190
-8.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Ballarat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$903 A$1,283
-23.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$673 A$956
-32.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$1,290 A$1,834
5.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$1,454 A$2,066
-37.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$4,809 A$6,833
-52.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$3,452 A$4,905
-61.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Ballarat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$3,185 A$4,525
-79.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
5.55
127.39%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Ballarat
$673 49.2% $222
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Ballarat
$354 51.1% $120
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Ballarat
$276 45% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Ballarat
$159 7.3% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Ballarat
$292 140% $170
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Ballarat
$62 20.9% $16
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Ballarat
$91 317% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $903 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $70 in Ballarat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $354 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇦🇺 Ballarat
🕒 Local time
05:02 5:02 AM
12:02 12:02 PM
7 h ahead of Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
105,348
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Ballarat 13,330 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Ballarat

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 Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tbilisi or Ballarat?
Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Ballarat. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Tbilisi or in Ballarat?
On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Tbilisi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Tbilisi compared to Ballarat?
Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $903 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Tbilisi and in Ballarat?
Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $2,198 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Tbilisi or in Ballarat?
Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Ballarat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Tbilisi or Ballarat?
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.
How safe is Tbilisi compared to Ballarat?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Ballarat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Ballarat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Tbilisi vs other spots: cost of living compared

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