Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Paihia

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,878 in Paihia, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Paihia
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Paihia Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Paihia

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Paihia

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

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,878 in Paihia, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,266
Paihia $1,878

A couple spends around $2,007 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,919 in Paihia, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,007
Paihia $2,919

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,960 in Paihia, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,749
Paihia $3,960

Tbilisi is about 33% cheaper than Paihia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 6% below the global median, while Paihia is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$13.79 NZ$24.39

-17.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$33.24 NZ$58.8

17.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$8.35 NZ$14.77

15.33%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$3.31 NZ$5.86

4.53%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$1.92 NZ$3.40

-43.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$1.80 NZ$3.18

-65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$6.68 NZ$11.81

-58.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$6.63 NZ$11.72

-53.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.86 NZ$3.29

20.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$2.24 NZ$3.96

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.89 NZ$3.34

-6.88%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$6.39 NZ$11.29

-56.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$8.42 NZ$14.89

11.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$9.68 NZ$17.13

-31.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$17.32 NZ$30.63

-25.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$2.83 NZ$5.00

-40.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$2.11 NZ$3.74

-14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$3.01 NZ$5.33

-36.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$5.68 NZ$10.05

-57.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$2.08 NZ$3.67

-58.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$1.53 NZ$2.70

-54.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.99 NZ$3.52

-29.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$1.04 NZ$1.83

-31.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$27.24 NZ$48.17

-87.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$10.39 NZ$18.37

-26.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$2.73 NZ$4.82

-40.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$3.30 NZ$5.84

-30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$1.60 NZ$2.82

-76.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$82.1 NZ$145

-80.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.70 NZ$3.01

-32.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$2.00 NZ$3.54

-60.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$31.30 NZ$55.4

-62.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.87 NZ$3.30

-25.13%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

-2.99%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

-2.32%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$184 NZ$325

-51.43%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$26.10 NZ$46.16

-49.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$50.5 NZ$89.4

-60.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$33.25 NZ$58.8

95.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$12.74 NZ$22.53

-48.43%

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

$377 ₾975

$1,097 NZ$1,939

-65.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$19.4K NZ$34.3K

-44.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$77.9 NZ$138

31.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$39.32 NZ$69.5

0.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$91.0 NZ$161

29.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$108 NZ$192

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$939 NZ$1,660

-29.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$742 NZ$1,311

-39.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$1,802 NZ$3,187

-28.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$1,607 NZ$2,843

-44.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$4,161 NZ$7,359

-41.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$3,605 NZ$6,376

-61.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

5.37

135.01%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Paihia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Paihia

$742 39.5% 65.1% $292

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Paihia

$338 18% 44.5% $104

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Paihia

$237 12.6% 25.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Paihia

$143 7.6% 17.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Paihia

$260 13.9% 113% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Paihia

$59 3.1% 24.8% $19

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Paihia

$100 5.3% 350% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Tbilisi versus $939 in Paihia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi versus $33.00 in Paihia. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $338 in Paihia – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇳🇿 Paihia

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

09:49 9:49 AM

9 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,800

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Paihia 15,610 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Paihia

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 Paihia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi, $1,878 in Paihia – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Tbilisi and $2,816 in Paihia. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Paihia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Tbilisi and $33.00 in Paihia. 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 $1,266, than in Paihia at $1,878. In Tbilisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paihia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,266 in Tbilisi to $1,878 in Paihia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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