Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Palmerston North

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,266 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Palmerston North

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $1,562 in Palmerston North.

Tbilisi $1,266
Palmerston North $1,562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $2,537 in Palmerston North.

Tbilisi $2,007
Palmerston North $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $3,511 in Palmerston North.

Tbilisi $2,749
Palmerston North $3,511

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 19% less than in Palmerston North, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 6% below, Palmerston North is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 ₾29.35

$13.50 NZ$23.87

-16.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 ₾101

$63.7 NZ$113

-38.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 ₾24.92

$8.80 NZ$15.56

9.43%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ₾8.95

$3.13 NZ$5.54

10.54%

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

$1.09 ₾2.82

$2.36 NZ$4.18

-53.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.62

$1.68 NZ$2.97

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 ₾7.17

$6.43 NZ$11.38

-56.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₾8.04

$6.52 NZ$11.53

-52.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₾5.81

$1.84 NZ$3.26

22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$2.14 NZ$3.78

-62.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ₾4.55

$1.37 NZ$2.42

28.47%

Eggs

$2.75 ₾7.11

$4.85 NZ$8.58

-43.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 ₾24.32

$6.41 NZ$11.34

46.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ₾17.23

$9.50 NZ$16.80

-29.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 ₾33.45

$10.78 NZ$19.06

19.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$2.54 NZ$4.48

-34.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.65

$2.23 NZ$3.94

-19.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ₾4.97

$2.30 NZ$4.07

-16.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₾6.24

$5.53 NZ$9.78

-56.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ₾2.23

$1.41 NZ$2.49

-39.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₾1.80

$0.86 NZ$1.53

-19.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-18.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.75 NZ$1.33

-5.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$22.06 NZ$39.00

-84.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾19.69

$7.91 NZ$13.99

-3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₾4.21

$2.65 NZ$4.69

-38.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾5.98

$2.78 NZ$4.91

-16.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-90.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.67 ₾40.57

$82.3 NZ$146

-80.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.87 NZ$3.30

-39.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-55.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 ₾30.70

$16.63 NZ$29.40

-28.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₾3.62

$1.64 NZ$2.90

-14.63%

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

$24.8K ₾64.2K

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

14.94%

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

$21.9K ₾56.6K

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

-8.64%

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

$89.1 ₾231

$68.2 NZ$121

30.64%

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

$13.21 ₾34.19

$32.09 NZ$56.8

-58.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 ₾51.1

$34.64 NZ$61.3

-42.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ₾168

$21.79 NZ$38.54

197.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ₾49.24

$14.08 NZ$24.90

35.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ₾17.02

$11.60 NZ$20.52

-43.36%

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

$377 ₾975

$1,034 NZ$1,829

-63.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾27.9K

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

26.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$69.5 NZ$123

47.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ₾103

$27.70 NZ$48.98

43.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾305

$83.1 NZ$147

41.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 ₾320

$82.5 NZ$146

49.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₾1,724

$906 NZ$1,602

-26.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₾1,163

$639 NZ$1,129

-29.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 ₾3,324

$1,587 NZ$2,807

-19.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,303

$1,311 NZ$2,318

-32.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₾6,276

$2,023 NZ$3,577

19.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 ₾3,573

$1,836 NZ$3,247

-24.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 ₾1,760

$2,494 NZ$4,411

-72.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

5.39

134.14%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$449 35.5%

Palmerston North

$639 40.9% 42.2% $189

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.5%

Palmerston North

$283 18.1% 21.2% $49

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$188 14.9%

Palmerston North

$233 14.9% 24.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.6%

Palmerston North

$118 7.6% 31.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.7%

Palmerston North

$135 8.6% 10.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Palmerston North

$45 2.9% 42.4% $33

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.8%

Palmerston North

$109 7% 389% $87

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $906 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 267% 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: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $64.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $283 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

16:42 4:42 PM

9 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

90,500

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Palmerston North 15,940 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Palmerston North

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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Palmerston North differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,562 including rent). Tbilisi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 267% lower in Palmerston North. 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: $666 in Tbilisi versus $906 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $377 in Tbilisi versus $1,034 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $1,562 in Palmerston North, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. 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 Palmerston North 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 23% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.