Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lake Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,218 in Lake Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Lake Macquarie
Learn more

Lake Macquarie Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Lake Macquarie

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,218 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Lake Macquarie $2,218

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,563 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Lake Macquarie $3,563

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $4,907 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Lake Macquarie $4,907

Tbilisi is about 43% cheaper than Lake Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Lake Macquarie is 63% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$17.44 A$24.79

-33.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$84.6 A$120

-55.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$10.50 A$14.92

-8.00%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.52 A$5.00

1.42%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$3.15 A$4.47

-65.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.04 A$2.90

-72.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$7.20 A$10.23

-63.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$6.91 A$9.81

-56.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.15 A$1.64

88.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.50 A$2.13

-46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.59 A$2.26

9.43%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$3.26 A$4.64

-13.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$7.87 A$11.18

18.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$7.47 A$10.62

-12.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$12.54 A$17.82

3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$2.95 A$4.19

-43.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.56 A$3.64

-27.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.56 A$3.64

-23.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$3.76 A$5.34

-35.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.38 A$3.38

-65.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.06 A$2.92

-64.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.70 A$2.42

-21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.55 A$2.20

-50.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$29.27 A$41.59

-87.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$8.38 A$11.90

-8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.89 A$4.11

-41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.28 A$3.25

5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.68 A$3.81

-85.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$82.9 A$118

-81.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$2.02 A$2.87

-43.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$3.18 A$4.52

-75.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$58.4 A$83.0

-79.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.34 A$1.90

8.21%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$28.4K A$40.3K

-13.35%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$24.3K A$34.5K

-8.02%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$236 A$335

-62.38%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$11.39 A$16.19

15.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$41.79 A$59.4

-52.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$55.7 A$79.1

15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$18.12 A$25.75

5.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$9.57 A$13.59

-25.60%

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

$375 ₾971

$1,489 A$2,115

-74.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$18.6K A$26.4K

-43.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$70.3 A$99.9

47.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$37.06 A$52.7

5.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$98.5 A$140

19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$111 A$158

9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$1,380 A$1,961

-49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$1,040 A$1,478

-56.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$2,288 A$3,251

-40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$2,267 A$3,222

-60.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$5,477 A$7,782

-58.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$5,415 A$7,694

-75.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$5,072 A$7,207

-86.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.35

190.11%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lake Macquarie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Lake Macquarie

$1K 46.9% 131% $589

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Lake Macquarie

$276 12.5% 18% $42

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Lake Macquarie

$284 12.8% 49% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Lake Macquarie

$143 6.4% 17% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Lake Macquarie

$289 13% 138% $168

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Lake Macquarie

$75 3.4% 4.5% $3.5

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Lake Macquarie

$112 5% 409% $90

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $1,380 in Lake Macquarie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lake Macquarie are about 7.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $85 in Lake Macquarie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $276 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇺 Lake Macquarie

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

10:48 10:48 AM

7 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,059

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 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 28, 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Lake Macquarie 13,660 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Lake Macquarie

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 Lake Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lake Macquarie is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $3,327 in Lake Macquarie. 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 $1,380 in Lake Macquarie.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $2,218 in Lake Macquarie. That makes Tbilisi about 43% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tbilisi, where all-in costs run around $1,269, than in Lake Macquarie at $2,218. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lake Macquarie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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