Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kisumu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisumu: $644 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Kisumu
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Kisumu Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Kisumu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kisumu

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

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Tbilisi vs $644 in Kisumu, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,270
Kisumu $644

A couple spends around $2,008 per month in Tbilisi vs $977 in Kisumu, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,008
Kisumu $977

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,311 in Kisumu, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,745
Kisumu $1,311

Tbilisi costs about 97% more than Kisumu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tbilisi and Kisumu are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Kisumu 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$4.65 KES 603

147.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$25.40 KES 3,293

50.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$6.55 KES 849

49.62%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$2.57 KES 334

38.13%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$0.61 KES 79.3

73.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.60 KES 78.2

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$1.98 KES 257

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$2.78 KES 360

7.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$0.52 KES 67.5

315.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$0.52 KES 67.4

46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.96 KES 254

-11.22%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$1.69 KES 219

65.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$10.51 KES 1,363

-12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$6.43 KES 834

1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$5.07 KES 658

152.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$3.43 KES 444

-51.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$0.94 KES 122

96.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$2.07 KES 268

-4.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$1.13 KES 147

122.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$1.07 KES 138

-18.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$0.96 KES 124

-23.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$0.74 KES 95.9

91.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.73 KES 94.8

-1.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$3.14 KES 407

7.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$7.68 KES 996

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$2.27 KES 295

-28.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$2.35 KES 305

1.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.80 KES 104

-53.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$23.09 KES 2,994

-32.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$1.52 KES 197

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$1.50 KES 195

-47.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$2.88 KES 373

301.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$1.61 KES 208

-6.83%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$19.7K KES 2.6M

24.92%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

2.09%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$55.8 KES 7,240

58.04%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$15.35 KES 1,990

-14.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$34.77 KES 4,508

-43.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$23.41 KES 3,036

174.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$7.91 KES 1,025

-11.63%

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

$373 ₾966

$115 KES 14.9K

223.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-13.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$11.77 KES 1,527

772.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$19.06 KES 2,471

112.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$15.63 KES 2,026

644.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$15.63 KES 2,026

680.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$153 KES 19.8K

342.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$138 KES 17.9K

228.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$563 KES 73.0K

126.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$212 KES 27.5K

319.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$756 KES 98.1K

218.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$758 KES 98.3K

-7.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

14.71

-14.21%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kisumu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Kisumu

$138 21.5% 69.6% $316

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Kisumu

$189 29.4% 18.9% $44

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Kisumu

$108 16.8% 43.3% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Kisumu

$28 4.3% 83.7% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Kisumu

$106 16.5% 12.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Kisumu

$39 6.1% 49.8% $39

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Kisumu

$35 5.5% 60% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $677 in Tbilisi versus $153 in Kisumu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Kisumu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $25.00 in Kisumu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $233 vs $189 – making Kisumu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇪 Kisumu

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,155,574

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Kisumu 4,760 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Kisumu

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 Kisumu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 97% more than Kisumu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Tbilisi and $965 in Kisumu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kisumu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Tbilisi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi and $25.00 in Kisumu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kisumu, where all-in costs run around $644, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Kisumu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kisumu costs $644 versus $1,270 in Tbilisi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kisumu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.