Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Makassar

For one person, living is cheaper in Makassar: $640 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Makassar
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Makassar Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Makassar

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Makassar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $640 in Makassar.

Tbilisi $1,269
Makassar $640

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $989 in Makassar.

Tbilisi $2,016
Makassar $989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,338 in Makassar.

Tbilisi $2,763
Makassar $1,338

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 98% more expensive than in Makassar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Makassar 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.10

$1.61 Rp 29.2K

622.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.9

$9.07 Rp 164.8K

317.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾25.01

$3.09 Rp 56.2K

212.62%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.25

$1.98 Rp 36.0K

80.30%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.49 Rp 8,981

120.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.33 Rp 5,947

69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.79

$2.54 Rp 46.2K

3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.86

$3.18 Rp 57.8K

-4.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.61

$1.56 Rp 28.3K

39.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

-21.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.52

$0.57 Rp 10.4K

205.26%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.32

$1.50 Rp 27.3K

88.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.10

$6.43 Rp 116.8K

44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.87

$3.48 Rp 63.2K

87.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.54

$5.38 Rp 97.8K

140.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$2.35 Rp 42.7K

-28.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.80

$1.36 Rp 24.6K

36.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.11

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

4.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.26

$1.20 Rp 21.7K

101.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.12

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

-34.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.48 Rp 27.0K

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

76.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.41 Rp 7,416

87.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.25

$2.71 Rp 49.2K

31.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.86

$22.04 Rp 400.2K

-65.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.79 Rp 32.5K

-5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.93 Rp 53.2K

-18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.29 Rp 5,304

37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.43

$11.90 Rp 216.0K

27.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.49 Rp 8,832

132.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.34 Rp 6,238

129.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.62

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

321.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

88.31%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$22.9K Rp 415.9M

7.32%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$32.4K Rp 588.5M

-31.07%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$89.6 Rp 1.6M

-0.86%

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

$13.12 ₾33.98

$2.62 Rp 47.5K

400.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$24.31 Rp 441.5K

-19.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$21.48 Rp 390.0K

198.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.30

$8.36 Rp 151.9K

127.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.44

$3.36 Rp 61.0K

111.90%

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

$375 ₾972

$91.7 Rp 1.7M

309.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$3,715 Rp 67.5M

181.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$27.01 Rp 490.6K

283.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$22.77 Rp 413.6K

72.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾304

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

57.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$39.35 Rp 714.6K

209.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,800

$225 Rp 4.1M

208.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,168

$144 Rp 2.6M

213.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,508

$553 Rp 10.0M

145.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,346

$363 Rp 6.6M

149.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,942

$1,146 Rp 20.8M

100.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,482

$795 Rp 14.4M

69.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,720

$211 Rp 3.8M

214.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

9.46

33.40%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Makassar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Makassar

$144 22.5% 68.1% $307

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Makassar

$194 30.3% 17.1% $40

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Makassar

$68 10.7% 64.2% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Makassar

$74 11.5% 57.2% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Makassar

$116 18.2% 4.2% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Makassar

$28 4.4% 64% $50

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Makassar

$15 2.4% 30.3% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $225 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $9 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $194 per month, with Makassar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇩 Makassar

🕒 Local time

12:31 12:31 PM

16:31 4:31 PM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,427,619

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,333 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Makassar 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Makassar

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 Makassar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makassar wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Makassar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Tbilisi is about 3.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $225 in Makassar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makassar runs roughly 22% less than in Tbilisi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $92 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $640 in Makassar versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $800 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.