Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Cairns

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $2,529 in Cairns, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Cairns

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

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,529 in Cairns, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,242
Cairns $2,529

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,731 in Cairns, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,962
Cairns $3,731

A family of three spends $2,682 per month in Tbilisi vs $4,933 in Cairns, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,682
Cairns $4,933

Tbilisi is about 51% cheaper than Cairns, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Cairns is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.46

$17.69 A$25.31

-37.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$97.6 A$140

-60.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$12.79 A$18.30

-25.10%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$4.32 A$6.18

-16.90%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$3.14 A$4.50

-67.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$2.74 A$3.92

-77.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

$6.84 A$9.79

-59.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

$8.34 A$11.94

-61.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$1.94 A$2.78

9.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.63 A$3.77

-71.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$2.57 A$3.68

-33.07%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$5.39 A$7.71

-48.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$9.17 A$13.12

3.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$13.48 A$19.29

-52.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$15.26 A$21.83

-14.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$4.17 A$5.97

-59.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$2.75 A$3.93

-33.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$3.54 A$5.06

-46.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$5.65 A$8.08

-57.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$2.56 A$3.66

-67.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$2.58 A$3.70

-73.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$2.71 A$3.88

-47.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$2.59 A$3.70

-70.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$43.78 A$62.7

-91.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

$13.96 A$19.97

-46.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.43

$3.55 A$5.08

-51.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

$5.22 A$7.46

-56.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

$3.56 A$5.10

-88.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

$15.43 A$22.08

-1.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$2.65 A$3.79

-55.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$1.96 A$2.81

-60.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.50

$42.21 A$60.4

-72.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$1.28 A$1.83

10.16%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$31.3K A$44.8K

-22.59%

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

$21.7K ₾56.3K

$40.8K A$58.4K

-46.75%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$164 A$234

-46.46%

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

$13.33 ₾34.55

$34.95 A$50.0

-61.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$65.0 A$93.0

-69.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

$44.38 A$63.5

45.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.86

$27.37 A$39.16

-31.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$13.97 A$20.00

-53.11%

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

$377 ₾978

$2,069 A$2,961

-81.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$14.2K A$20.3K

-24.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$89.1 A$127

14.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$71.7 A$103

-43.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$122 A$174

-4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$129 A$185

-6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$1,466 A$2,098

-53.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

$1,223 A$1,751

-63.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$2,250 A$3,221

-43.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$1,944 A$2,783

-54.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$6,629 A$9,487

-63.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$5,015 A$7,177

-72.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$4,289 A$6,138

-83.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

6.32

99.68%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cairns: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9% 171% $772

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

Cairns

$409 16.3% 75.9% $176

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

Cairns

$306 12.2% 64.2% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

Cairns

$185 7.4% 8.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

Cairns

$264 10.5% 119% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Cairns

$72 2.9% 7% $5.5

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Cairns

$42 1.7% 92.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $675 in Tbilisi versus $1,466 in Cairns. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 508% higher in Cairns, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $98.0 in Cairns. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $409 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇺 Cairns

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

6 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

153,181

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Cairns 12,150 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Cairns

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 Cairns: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 104% 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 $1,863 per month in Tbilisi and $3,793 in Cairns. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi and $98.0 in Cairns. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,242, than in Cairns at $2,529. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,242 versus $2,529 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Tbilisi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.