Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kota Bharu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Bharu: $694 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kota Bharu

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $694 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,278
Kota Bharu $694

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,075 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,017
Kota Bharu $1,075

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,455 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,755
Kota Bharu $1,455

Tbilisi costs about 84% more than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Kota Bharu are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 5% lower, Kota Bharu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$2.24 MYR 9.12

418.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$19.43 MYR 79.2

97.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$4.79 MYR 19.51

103.34%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.18 MYR 8.87

63.30%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$0.47 MYR 1.93

129.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.26 MYR 1.05

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$4.27 MYR 17.40

-36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$4.34 MYR 17.68

-27.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.57 MYR 6.38

36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.90 MYR 3.67

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$0.78 MYR 3.18

130.77%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.60 MYR 6.51

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$13.48 MYR 55.0

-30.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$3.06 MYR 12.49

128.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.84

$6.52 MYR 26.57

94.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$3.07 MYR 12.52

-46.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$1.45 MYR 5.89

26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$2.76 MYR 11.25

-28.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$1.12 MYR 4.58

120.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$1.10 MYR 4.46

-39.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$1.10 MYR 4.48

28.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.45 MYR 1.83

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.09

$3.35 MYR 13.66

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$19.31 MYR 78.7

-59.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$2.93 MYR 11.93

-41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$5.45 MYR 22.19

-56.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.76 MYR 3.11

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.57

$12.22 MYR 49.79

25.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$1.77 MYR 7.20

-32.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.41 MYR 1.65

80.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$3.75 MYR 15.29

217.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$0.48 MYR 1.96

204.17%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$31.4K MYR 128.1K

-20.54%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$29.5K MYR 120.3K

-22.68%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$37.70 MYR 154

133.77%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$8.53 MYR 34.74

49.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$26.29 MYR 107

-24.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$48.85 MYR 199

31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.60

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$4.44 MYR 18.11

49.77%

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

$371 ₾961

$122 MYR 497

204.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$11.6K MYR 47.3K

-21.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$54.7 MYR 223

86.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$19.81 MYR 80.7

100.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$80.7 MYR 329

46.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$69.8 MYR 284

71.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,785

$247 MYR 1,007

179.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$123 MYR 502

274.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,524

$676 MYR 2,753

101.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$224 MYR 913

300.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,892

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,565

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,837

$296 MYR 1,205

140.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

4.24

195.52%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Kota Bharu

$123 17.7% 73.3% $338

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Kota Bharu

$229 33% 2.5% $5.9

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Kota Bharu

$91 13.2% 52.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Kota Bharu

$101 14.6% 40.8% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Kota Bharu

$73 10.5% 39.9% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Kota Bharu

$58 8.3% 25.6% $20

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8% 12% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Tbilisi versus $247 in Kota Bharu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tbilisi are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $19 in Kota Bharu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $229 – making Kota Bharu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

16:29 4:29 PM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

568,900

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.345 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.9 GEL (1 GEL = 0.345 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.57 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Kota Bharu 6,890 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Kota Bharu

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 Kota Bharu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 84% more than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $1,041 in Kota Bharu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kota Bharu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $247 there versus $690 in Tbilisi.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Kota Bharu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $371 per month in Tbilisi and $122 in Kota Bharu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kota Bharu, where all-in costs run around $694, than in Tbilisi at $1,278. In Kota Bharu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kota Bharu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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