Moving to Georgia from New Zealand

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Georgia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from New Zealand to Georgia, you would find that Georgia is 45.5% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly GEL104,000 in Georgia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Georgian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Georgia cheaper than New Zealand?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 18.8% less

Groceries

pay 41.5% less

Transportation

pay 50.5% less

Housing

pay 55.8% less

Childcare

pay 69.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 37.3% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 NZD = 1.46 GEL (November 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Georgia?

What does your salary buy?

NZ$130,000 → GEL104,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Georgia

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Georgia cost about 27% less than cities in New Zealand.

New Zealand

Tauranga 52%
Auckland 52%
Nelson 48%

Georgia

Batumi 34%
Kobuleti 32%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

How New Zealand and Georgia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

NZ
1.5
GE
2.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NZ
6.6
GE
12.7

New Zealand performs better than Georgia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

NZ
$5,576
GE
$1,679
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

NZ
36.1
GE
56.4

Georgia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NZ
12.0
GE
69.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NZ
6.0t
GE
3.5t

New Zealand generally does better on environment, though Georgia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NZ
38.0
GE
30.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NZ
8.1%
GE
4.2%

New Zealand generally does better on infrastructure, though Georgia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NZ
5.1%
GE
12.1%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

NZ
$49,591
GE
$9,692

New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Georgia leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

NZ
82.0 yrs
GE
74.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NZ
4.0
GE
7.5

New Zealand performs better than Georgia across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), Georgia Department of Revenue (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Georgia vs New Zealand

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Auckland Rain: 43.3 in/yr (1101 mm)
66° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Tbilisi Rain: 19.5 in/yr (496 mm)
None° / None°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Auckland Tbilisi
Jan–Mar 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) —
Apr–Jun 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) —
Jul–Sep 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) —
Oct–Dec 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) —
View all months
Month Auckland Tbilisi
Jan 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) —
Feb 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) —
Mar 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) —
Apr 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) —
May 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) —
Jun 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) —
Jul 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) —
Aug 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) —
Sep 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) —
Oct 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) —
Nov 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) —
Dec 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) —

Data: New Zealand National Meteorological Service New Zealand National Meteorological Service

Can you move from New Zealand to Georgia?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and Georgia. To live, work, or study long-term in Georgia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Georgia's immigration authority.

New Zealand passport

New Zealand passport holder visiting Georgia

Visa Free
New Zealand passport holders can enter Georgia without a visa.
Georgia passport

Georgia passport holder visiting New Zealand

Visa Required
Georgia passport holders need a visa to enter New Zealand.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Georgia than New Zealand?

Generally yes: Georgia runs about 45% cheaper than New Zealand on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Georgia?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NZ$130,000 comparable salary, that's around GEL26,000 in Georgia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Georgia?

With 30.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Georgia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in New Zealand and Georgia.

Is Georgia safe for expats?

New Zealand performs better than Georgia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Georgia is 2.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in New Zealand.

How is healthcare in Georgia compared to New Zealand?

Georgia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index. There are 56.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Georgia, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. Georgia scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).

What's the weather like in Georgia compared to New Zealand?

The average high temperature in Tbilisi is None°F, compared to 66°F in Auckland. Tbilisi receives around 19.5 in of rainfall per year, while Auckland gets 43.3 in.

What language do they speak in Georgia?

The official language in Georgia is Georgian. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.

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At a Glance

NZ GE
Population 5,324,700 3,935,766
Currency New Zealand Dollar (NZ$) Georgian Lari (GEL)
Languages English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language Georgian
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +64 +995
Time zones 5 1
Emergency number 111 —