Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lae

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $817 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Lae

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $817 in Lae, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Lae $817

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,470 in Lae, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Lae $1,470

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,123 in Lae, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Lae $2,123

Tbilisi costs about 55% more than Lae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tbilisi and Lae are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Lae 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$23.60 PGK 103

-50.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$50.5 PGK 219

-25.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.66 PGK 11.58

34.21%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.74 PGK 3.23

45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.57 PGK 2.47

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$3.22 PGK 14.01

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$5.10 PGK 22.14

-40.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.98 PGK 8.62

9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.45 PGK 6.28

-44.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.24 PGK 5.39

40.32%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$3.96 PGK 17.19

-28.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$9.41 PGK 40.88

-1.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$9.06 PGK 39.36

-28.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$10.59 PGK 46.01

22.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$4.30 PGK 18.68

-60.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.69 PGK 11.69

-31.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$5.87 PGK 25.51

-66.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.50 PGK 6.53

61.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$3.37 PGK 14.62

-75.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.34 PGK 10.15

-68.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.64 PGK 2.80

109.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.85 PGK 3.70

-9.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$6.75 PGK 29.33

-47.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$12.26 PGK 53.3

-37.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.59 PGK 11.27

-34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$4.34 PGK 18.87

-44.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.31 PGK 1.37

29.03%

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

$1.03 PGK 4.46

40.78%

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

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

$436 PGK 1,893

59.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$260 PGK 1,132

73.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$1,227 PGK 5,330

10.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$619 PGK 2,691

46.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$156 PGK 676

327.09%

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 Lae: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Lae

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Lae

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Lae

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Lae

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Lae

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Lae

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Lae

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $436 in Lae. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tbilisi are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $50 in Lae. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $303 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇵🇬 Lae

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

17:59 5:59 PM

6 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

250,948

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.206 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.35 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.85 PGK (1 PGK = 0.206 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Lae 11,520 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Lae

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 Lae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 55% more than Lae, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,225 in Lae. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lae, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $436 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $817 in Lae. That makes Lae about 36% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Tbilisi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,269 in Tbilisi and $817 in Lae. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Lae to $1,269 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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