Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,849 in Melbourne.

Tbilisi $1,269
Melbourne $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $4,274 in Melbourne.

Tbilisi $2,016
Melbourne $4,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $5,699 in Melbourne.

Tbilisi $2,763
Melbourne $5,699

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 55% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$17.50 A$24.88

-33.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.9

$84.3 A$120

-55.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$12.17 A$17.30

-20.62%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.07 A$5.79

-12.29%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$3.18 A$4.52

-66.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$2.50 A$3.55

-77.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$9.57 A$13.61

-72.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.86

$8.25 A$11.73

-63.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.50 A$2.14

44.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$2.97 A$4.22

-73.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.68 A$3.82

-35.07%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$5.45 A$7.76

-48.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.08

$10.71 A$15.23

-13.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.86

$10.05 A$14.29

-35.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$15.00 A$21.33

-13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$4.07 A$5.79

-58.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.80

$3.14 A$4.46

-41.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$3.12 A$4.43

-36.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$4.73 A$6.73

-48.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.98 A$4.24

-72.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$2.49 A$3.55

-70.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.48 A$3.53

-45.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$1.60 A$2.27

-51.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$44.65 A$63.5

-92.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.84

$12.68 A$18.03

-39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$5.55 A$7.89

-69.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$5.18 A$7.37

-53.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$3.84 A$5.46

-89.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.39

$139 A$197

-89.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$4.36 A$6.20

-73.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.37 A$1.94

-43.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.59

$29.72 A$42.26

-60.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.49 A$2.11

-2.68%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$29.1K A$41.4K

-15.51%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$25.7K A$36.5K

-12.98%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$236 A$335

-62.32%

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

$13.12 ₾33.94

$28.01 A$39.83

-53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$57.2 A$81.4

-65.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$48.39 A$68.8

32.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.25

$21.46 A$30.52

-11.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$17.67 A$25.12

-59.71%

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

$375 ₾971

$2,461 A$3,499

-84.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-64.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$81.2 A$115

27.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$49.28 A$70.1

-20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾304

$120 A$170

-1.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$131 A$186

-7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$1,703 A$2,421

-59.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$1,409 A$2,003

-67.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,505

$3,496 A$4,971

-61.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,344

$2,527 A$3,593

-64.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,936

$7,978 A$11.3K

-71.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,479

$6,900 A$9,812

-80.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$4,257 A$6,053

-84.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

5.9

113.90%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 212% $958

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 65.2% $153

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Melbourne

$312 11% 63.9% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Melbourne

$171 6% 0.3% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 164% $199

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 6.9% $5.4

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 655% $143

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays about 6.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $84 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $386 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

7 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

5,031,195

💱 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 = 0.632 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 = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Melbourne 13,430 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Melbourne

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Melbourne differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($1,269 vs $2,849 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Tbilisi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Tbilisi versus $2,461 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $2,849 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi 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.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Melbourne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tbilisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.