Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Nuku'alofa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuku'alofa: $1,019 a month against $1,242 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tbilisi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Nuku'alofa
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Nuku'alofa Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Nuku'alofa

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Nuku'alofa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $1,019 in Nuku'alofa.

Tbilisi $1,242
Nuku'alofa $1,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Tbilisi versus $1,886 in Nuku'alofa.

Tbilisi $1,962
Nuku'alofa $1,886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,682 in Tbilisi versus $2,752 in Nuku'alofa.

Tbilisi $2,682
Nuku'alofa $2,752

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 22% more expensive than in Nuku'alofa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Nuku'alofa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.46

$8.52 TOP 20.43

28.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$61.8 TOP 148

-38.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$10.32 TOP 24.74

-7.17%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$2.93 TOP 7.02

22.53%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$2.82 TOP 6.75

-63.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$2.52 TOP 6.03

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

$3.38 TOP 8.09

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

$5.03 TOP 12.07

-36.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$1.52 TOP 3.64

40.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.07 TOP 2.56

-30.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$2.11 TOP 5.07

-18.48%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$4.97 TOP 11.91

-44.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$8.75 TOP 20.98

8.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$5.91 TOP 14.16

9.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$7.82 TOP 18.75

66.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$2.79 TOP 6.69

-39.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$2.71 TOP 6.49

-32.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$2.87 TOP 6.87

-34.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$3.68 TOP 8.82

-34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$3.16 TOP 7.57

-73.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$2.65 TOP 6.34

-74.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$2.28 TOP 5.46

-37.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$1.42 TOP 3.40

-45.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$10.24 TOP 24.54

-65.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

$17.36 TOP 41.62

-56.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.43

$3.14 TOP 7.51

-45.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

$3.41 TOP 8.18

-32.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

$2.14 TOP 5.12

-81.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

$41.65 TOP 99.8

-63.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$2.05 TOP 4.92

-41.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$2.07 TOP 4.96

-62.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.50

$41.16 TOP 98.7

-71.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$1.47 TOP 3.53

-4.08%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$5,817 TOP 13.9K

316.92%

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

$21.7K ₾56.3K

$8,461 TOP 20.3K

156.94%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$188 TOP 450

-53.30%

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

$13.33 ₾34.55

$22.27 TOP 53.4

-40.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$123 TOP 294

-84.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

$31.62 TOP 75.8

104.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.86

$40.72 TOP 97.6

-53.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$40.75 TOP 97.7

-83.93%

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

$377 ₾978

$157 TOP 376

140.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$248 TOP 593

4192.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$14.35 TOP 34.38

612.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$17.98 TOP 43.09

124.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$20.42 TOP 48.93

471.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$29.28 TOP 70.2

313.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$619 TOP 1,484

8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$831 TOP 1,992

53.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$560 TOP 1,342

57.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$418 TOP 1,001

478.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$252 TOP 603

457.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$680 TOP 1,630

3.83%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Nuku'alofa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

Nuku'alofa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

Nuku'alofa

$292 28.6% 25.5% $59

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

Nuku'alofa

$183 17.9% 2% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

Nuku'alofa

$37 3.6% 78.4% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

Nuku'alofa

$332 32.6% 176% $212

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Nuku'alofa

$113 11.1% 45.4% $35

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Nuku'alofa

$63 6.1% 186% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $675 in Tbilisi and $619 in Nuku'alofa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $62.0 in Nuku'alofa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $292 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa

🕒 Local time

14:40 2:40 PM

23:40 11:40 PM

9 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

24,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 TOP = 0.417 USD

1 TOP = 0.372 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TOP, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.4 TOP (1 TOP = 0.417 USD). 1 EUR = 2.69 TOP (1 TOP = 0.372 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Nuku'alofa 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Nuku'alofa

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 Nuku'alofa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Nuku'alofa differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,242 vs $1,019 including rent). Nuku'alofa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Tbilisi, 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: $675 in Tbilisi versus $619 in Nuku'alofa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nuku'alofa – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,242 per month in Tbilisi versus $1,019 in Nuku'alofa – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,019 in Nuku'alofa versus $1,242 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nuku'alofa but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Nuku'alofa 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 Nuku'alofa 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 Nuku'alofa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.