Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Hulhumale

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,242 a month against $1,450 in Hulhumale, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hulhumale outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Hulhumale
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Hulhumale Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,242

/mo nomad

Hulhumale

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Hulhumale

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $1,450 in Hulhumale.

Tbilisi $1,242
Hulhumale $1,450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Tbilisi versus $2,606 in Hulhumale.

Tbilisi $1,962
Hulhumale $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,682 in Tbilisi versus $3,762 in Hulhumale.

Tbilisi $2,682
Hulhumale $3,762

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 14% less than in Hulhumale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Hulhumale is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 ₾28.46

$6.15 MVR 94.9

78.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.21 ₾99.0

$38.70 MVR 597

-1.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 ₾24.84

$9.60 MVR 148

-0.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 MVR 73.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MVR 76.5

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₾9.31

$3.56 MVR 54.8

0.84%

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

$1.03 ₾2.66

$1.61 MVR 24.81

-36.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₾1.64

$0.31 MVR 4.83

103.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ₾7.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ₾8.22

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₾5.53

$1.60 MVR 24.63

33.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.64 MVR 25.27

-54.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ₾4.46

$0.33 MVR 5.11

421.21%

Eggs

$2.78 ₾7.21

$1.85 MVR 28.55

50.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 ₾24.56

$3.30 MVR 50.8

187.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ₾16.71

$6.17 MVR 95.2

4.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ₾33.76

$9.60 MVR 148

35.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₾4.37

$3.91 MVR 60.3

-56.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.76

$3.08 MVR 47.48

-40.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ₾4.90

$2.82 MVR 43.56

-32.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₾6.22

$2.71 MVR 41.71

-11.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.17

$1.22 MVR 18.88

-31.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₾1.75

$1.11 MVR 17.10

-38.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.68

$2.12 MVR 32.72

-33.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.62 MVR 9.50

24.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 MVR 187

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MVR 41.25

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 MVR 30.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ₾9.22

$12.87 MVR 198

-72.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₾19.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₾4.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₾5.94

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.15 ₾39.27

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.89 MVR 29.12

-37.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.03

$1.91 MVR 29.39

-59.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₾30.50

$10.07 MVR 155

16.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₾3.65

$0.98 MVR 15.12

43.88%

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

$24.3K ₾62.9K

$33.0K MVR 508.2K

-26.41%

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

$21.7K ₾56.3K

$29.5K MVR 455.6K

-26.42%

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

$87.6 ₾227

$102 MVR 1,568

-13.83%

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

$13.33 ₾34.55

$30.38 MVR 469

-56.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 ₾50.6

$72.4 MVR 1,117

-73.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 ₾168

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 ₾48.86

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ₾16.97

$9.82 MVR 151

-33.30%

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

$377 ₾978

$186 MVR 2,863

103.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₾27.5K

$3,007 MVR 46.4K

253.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾265

$38.95 MVR 601

162.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 ₾105

$50.3 MVR 775

-19.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾302

$86.9 MVR 1,340

34.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 ₾314

$51.6 MVR 796

134.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ₾1,749

$1,118 MVR 17.2K

-39.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,170

$786 MVR 12.1K

-42.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₾3,305

$2,270 MVR 35.0K

-43.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 ₾2,288

$2,293 MVR 35.4K

-61.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₾6,259

$5,453 MVR 84.1K

-55.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₾3,640

$506 MVR 7,802

177.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 ₾1,830

$710 MVR 10.9K

-0.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

-9.86%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.8%

Hulhumale

$786 54.3% 74.2% $335

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$232 18.4%

Hulhumale

$195 13.5% 16% $37

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$186 14.8%

Hulhumale

$128 8.9% 31.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.6%

Hulhumale

$102 7.1% 40.1% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$120 9.6%

Hulhumale

$204 14.1% 69.7% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Hulhumale

$20 * 1.4% 74.7% $58

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Hulhumale

$11 * 0.8% 47.8% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $675 in Tbilisi and $1,118 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 1% 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: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $39.00 in Hulhumale. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $195, with Hulhumale cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇻 Hulhumale

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

18:05 6:05 PM

1 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

5,000

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.28 MVR (100 MVR = 5.79 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Hulhumale 5,050 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Hulhumale

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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Hulhumale. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tbilisi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Hulhumale. 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: $675 in Tbilisi versus $1,118 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $377 in Tbilisi versus $186 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tbilisi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $39.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,242 in Tbilisi versus $1,450 in Hulhumale, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tbilisi but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Tbilisi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tbilisi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,242 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tbilisi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Hulhumale 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 17% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.