Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,209 in Mackay, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Mackay

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,209 in Mackay, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Mackay $2,209

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,489 in Mackay, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Mackay $3,489

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $4,769 in Mackay, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Mackay $4,769

Tbilisi is about 43% cheaper than Mackay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Mackay is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$17.22 A$24.50

-32.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$75.8 A$108

-50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$12.42 A$17.67

-22.22%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.30 A$6.12

-16.98%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$3.39 A$4.82

-68.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.74 A$3.89

-79.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$6.97 A$9.91

-62.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$6.87 A$9.77

-55.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.90 A$2.71

14.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$2.51 A$3.57

-68.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.82 A$4.02

-38.30%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$6.02 A$8.56

-52.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$9.70 A$13.80

-4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$8.53 A$12.13

-23.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$16.45 A$23.40

-21.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$3.69 A$5.25

-54.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$2.85 A$4.05

-35.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$3.00 A$4.27

-34.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$6.72 A$9.56

-63.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.53 A$3.59

-67.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.56 A$3.64

-71.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$3.24 A$4.61

-58.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$3.11 A$4.43

-75.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$44.23 A$62.9

-91.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$8.63 A$12.28

-11.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$5.24 A$7.46

-67.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$6.05 A$8.60

-60.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$2.42 A$3.44

-83.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$68.8 A$97.9

-77.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$5.88 A$8.36

-80.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$2.06 A$2.93

-62.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$35.28 A$50.2

-66.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.27 A$1.81

14.17%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$27.1K A$38.6K

-9.39%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$35.4K A$50.4K

-36.98%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$235 A$334

-62.18%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$29.32 A$41.70

-55.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$78.9 A$112

-75.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$52.0 A$74.0

23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$21.14 A$30.07

-9.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$16.46 A$23.40

-56.74%

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

$375 ₾971

$1,860 A$2,645

-79.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$6,747 A$9,596

55.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$71.1 A$101

45.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$50.0 A$71.1

-21.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$123 A$175

-4.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$105 A$150

15.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$956 A$1,360

-27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$829 A$1,180

-45.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$1,903 A$2,707

-28.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$1,779 A$2,530

-49.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$3,115 A$4,430

-26.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,763 A$2,508

-23.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$5,517 A$7,846

-87.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

5.63

124.16%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 83.8% $378

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 71.1% $166

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 57.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 8.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 182% $221

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 8.5% $6.7

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 332% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $956 in Mackay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mackay are about 8.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $76 in Mackay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $400 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

20:18 8:18 PM

6 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

80,455

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Mackay 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Mackay

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 Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mackay is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $3,314 in Mackay. 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 $956 in Mackay.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Mackay, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $76 in Mackay. 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 $1,269, than in Mackay at $2,209. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mackay 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, Mackay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.