Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Southern Cross

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,278 a month against $2,532 in Southern Cross, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Southern Cross

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $2,532 in Southern Cross.

Tbilisi $1,278
Southern Cross $2,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Tbilisi versus $3,583 in Southern Cross.

Tbilisi $2,017
Southern Cross $3,583

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Tbilisi versus $4,635 in Southern Cross.

Tbilisi $2,755
Southern Cross $4,635

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 50% less than in Southern Cross, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 5% below, Southern Cross is 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$19.39 A$27.64

-40.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$61.2 A$87.2

-37.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$10.68 A$15.22

-8.80%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$3.47 A$4.95

2.59%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$2.40 A$3.42

-55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$1.77 A$2.53

-68.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$6.93 A$9.88

-60.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$8.36 A$11.91

-62.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.58 A$2.26

35.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$2.72 A$3.88

-72.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$2.22 A$3.17

-18.92%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$2.76 A$3.94

1.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$9.26 A$13.20

1.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$9.44 A$13.46

-25.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.83

$14.66 A$20.90

-13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$3.87 A$5.52

-57.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$3.00 A$4.27

-38.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$3.16 A$4.51

-37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$4.63 A$6.61

-46.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$2.62 A$3.74

-71.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$2.44 A$3.48

-72.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$2.34 A$3.33

-39.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$1.55 A$2.21

-53.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$35.49 A$50.6

-90.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$14.19 A$20.22

-44.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$4.75 A$6.77

-64.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$5.35 A$7.63

-55.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$2.71 A$3.86

-85.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.56

$85.7 A$122

-82.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$3.56 A$5.07

-66.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.57 A$2.24

-52.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$39.44 A$56.2

-69.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.27 A$1.81

14.96%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$28.9K A$41.2K

-13.61%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$26.8K A$38.2K

-14.85%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$208 A$296

-57.59%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$27.83 A$39.67

-54.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$57.5 A$81.9

-65.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$56.8 A$81.0

13.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.59

$18.03 A$25.70

6.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$14.09 A$20.08

-52.80%

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

$371 ₾961

$2,165 A$3,087

-82.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$20.6K A$29.4K

-55.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$76.2 A$109

34.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$55.4 A$79.0

-28.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$109 A$155

8.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$122 A$174

-1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

$1,377 A$1,964

-49.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$1,227 A$1,749

-62.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,523

$2,255 A$3,215

-39.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$1,829 A$2,608

-50.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,891

$5,968 A$8,508

-61.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,564

$4,897 A$6,981

-71.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

$7,095 A$10.1K

-89.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

6.25

100.48%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Southern Cross: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Southern Cross

$1.2K 48.5% 166% $766

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Southern Cross

$359 14.2% 52.5% $124

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Southern Cross

$297 11.7% 55.1% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Southern Cross

$163 6.4% 4.5% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Southern Cross

$293 11.6% 143% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Southern Cross

$85 3.4% 9.5% $7.4

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Southern Cross

$108 4.3% 398% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Tbilisi and $1,377 in Southern Cross. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southern Cross pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $61 in Southern Cross for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $359 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

10:17 10:17 AM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

700

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.343 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.343 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Southern Cross 11,120 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Southern Cross

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 Southern Cross: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Tbilisi and $2,532 in Southern Cross, so Tbilisi is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 90% 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: $690 in Tbilisi versus $1,377 in Southern Cross. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38 versus $61 in Southern Cross. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Tbilisi versus $2,532 in Southern Cross – Tbilisi is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $2,532 in Southern Cross, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Southern Cross. 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 Southern Cross are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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