CostTrek

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Melbourne vs Tbilisi

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Melbourne, AU vs Tbilisi, GE at a glance — Tbilisi, GE is 61% cheaper than Melbourne, AU overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $500/mo versus $1,800/mo. Top income tax: 20% vs 45%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Tbilisi, GE, you'd need

$29,511 / year

Tbilisi, GE is 61% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Tbilisi, GE vs Melbourne, AU)

  • Housing-71%
  • Food & groceries-60%
  • Transport-65%
  • Utilities-49%
  • Healthcare-47%
  • Goods & services-53%

◎ How Melbourne, AU and Tbilisi, GE compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Melbourne, AUTbilisi, GE

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Melbourne, AUTbilisi, GE
Cost of living
Overall cost index11846
Housing13840
Food11245
Transport10035
Utilities10855
Healthcare9550
Goods & services11655
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,800/mo$500/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,350/mo$320/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$3,400/mo$1,000/mo
Buy price / m² centre$9,000$1,300
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$847$2,153
Inexpensive meal$17$5
Monthly transit pass$110$12
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)45%20%
VAT / sales tax10%18%
Corporate tax30%15%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$3,900/mo$600/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)$72,018✓—
Minimum wage$2,600/mo—
GDP per capita$65,130✓$8,120✓
Inflation (annual)2.9%✓2.5%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoYes
English proficiencyNativeModerate
Coworking spaces7025
Time zoneUTC+10UTC+4
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)7359
Safety index6870
Healthcare index8555
Pollution index3060
Internet speed90 Mbps40 Mbps
Walkability7860
Public transport8055
Family-friendly7458
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Life expectancy83 yr✓73 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighLow
Climate
January avg+20 °C+3 °C
July avg+10 °C+25 °C
Sunny days / year180210
Rainfall / year600 mm500 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1.5 h3 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Australia vs Georgia. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Melbourne vs Tbilisi — in your currency

MelbourneTbilisi
1-bed rent, city centre$1,800$500
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,350$320
Inexpensive meal$17$5
Monthly transit pass$110$12
Utilities (monthly)$150$60

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Melbourne

Coffee, laneways and a famously liveable city — cheaper than Sydney, with famously changeable weather.

Currency
Australian dollar ($ AUD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC+10
Internet
90 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
68/100
Climate
❄ 20°C · ☀ 10°C · 180 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
I · 230V
Driving
Left-hand side
Popular areas
Fitzroy · St Kilda · Carlton

Good to know before you move to Tbilisi

A full year visa-free, a 1% small-business tax and cheap rents have made Georgia's wine-and-sulphur-bath capital a low-tax nomad magnet. Old-town charm and fast growth, weighed against regional geopolitics.

Currency
Georgian lari (₾ GEL)
Languages
Georgian
Time zone
UTC+4
Internet
40 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
70/100
Climate
❄ 3°C · ☀ 25°C · 210 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
C/F · 220V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Vera · Vake · Sololaki · Saburtalo

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Melbourne to Tbilisi: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Melbourne to Tbilisi, your cost of living will be roughly 61% cheaper. Tbilisi’s cost-of-living index is 46 versus 118 for Melbourne (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Melbourne cheaper than Tbilisi?

Tbilisi is about 61% cheaper than Melbourne overall — its cost-of-living index is 46 versus 118 for Melbourne.

Which is more expensive, Melbourne or Tbilisi?

Melbourne is more expensive than Tbilisi. Its cost-of-living index is 118 vs 46 (US = 100) — about 157% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Melbourne or Tbilisi?

Rent is cheaper in Tbilisi — about $500/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,800 in Melbourne.

How much do you need to earn in Tbilisi to live like in Melbourne?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Melbourne is worth about $29,511 in Tbilisi. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Melbourne or Tbilisi?

Georgia has the lower top income-tax rate — 20% versus 45% in Australia.

◷ More comparisons from Melbourne

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.