Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,191 in Tbilisi versus $1,159 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Tbilisi versus $1,912 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,522 in Tbilisi versus $2,666 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 3% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 11% lower, Kaohsiung 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.91 ₾28.56

$4.16 NT$134

162.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.19 ₾113

$34.09 NT$1,101

26.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 ₾22.31

$5.46 NT$176

56.23%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ₾7.81

$2.99 NT$96.5

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

$0.81 ₾2.12

$1.03 NT$33.19

-21.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₾1.09

$0.72 NT$23.25

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 ₾5.65

$1.66 NT$53.7

30.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₾7.52

$2.77 NT$89.5

3.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₾5.08

$3.54 NT$114

-45.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$2.07 NT$66.7

-67.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.83

$2.60 NT$84.0

-28.85%

Eggs

$2.53 ₾6.62

$3.32 NT$107

-23.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ₾19.69

$15.78 NT$510

-52.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 ₾16.39

$9.24 NT$298

-32.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 ₾25.09

$17.93 NT$579

-46.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ₾3.04

$5.99 NT$194

-80.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.29

$2.59 NT$83.5

-36.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 ₾4.93

$2.78 NT$89.9

-32.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 ₾5.84

$4.03 NT$130

-44.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₾1.83

$2.98 NT$96.3

-76.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₾1.68

$2.24 NT$72.5

-71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.09

$1.92 NT$61.9

-38.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₾1.83

$1.14 NT$36.95

-38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₾7.78

$4.34 NT$140

-31.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.43 ₾19.45

$15.18 NT$490

-51.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.03

$1.65 NT$53.4

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₾5.98

$2.45 NT$79.2

-6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.93

$0.81 NT$26.16

-55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.73 ₾38.54

$27.16 NT$877

-45.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ₾3.71

$2.94 NT$94.8

-51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₾1.81

$0.73 NT$23.55

-5.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ₾19.02

$6.03 NT$195

20.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.86

$1.07 NT$34.53

1.87%

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

$18.3K ₾47.9K

$34.2K NT$1.1M

-46.39%

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

$20.5K ₾53.6K

$25.7K NT$831.4K

-20.45%

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

$74.4 ₾195

$105 NT$3,391

-29.19%

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

$11.71 ₾30.63

$25.44 NT$821

-53.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ₾46.06

$24.82 NT$802

-29.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 ₾158

$38.49 NT$1,243

56.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 ₾42.63

$11.37 NT$367

43.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₾17.03

$10.36 NT$335

-37.16%

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

$269 ₾704

$427 NT$13.8K

-36.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,154 ₾13.5K

$11.3K NT$364.0K

-54.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 ₾202

$95.0 NT$3,067

-18.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.48 ₾114

$36.22 NT$1,170

20.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾310

$89.4 NT$2,886

32.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾295

$103 NT$3,317

9.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 ₾1,856

$448 NT$14.5K

58.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₾1,215

$280 NT$9,030

66.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₾3,442

$925 NT$29.9K

42.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₾2,007

$690 NT$22.3K

11.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,492 ₾6,522

$4,510 NT$145.6K

-44.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,442 ₾3,773

$3,159 NT$102.0K

-54.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 ₾1,735

$1,463 NT$47.2K

-54.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

2.3

416.96%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $709 in Tbilisi and $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 121% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $204 vs $382, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Kaohsiung differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,191 vs $1,159 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 121% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $709 in Tbilisi versus $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $427 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 87% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $1,191 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.