Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,074 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more

Kuala Lumpur Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kuala Lumpur

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Kuala Lumpur $1,074

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,622 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Kuala Lumpur $1,622

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,170 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Kuala Lumpur $2,170

Tbilisi costs about 18% more than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Kuala Lumpur are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Kuala Lumpur 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$4.98 MYR 20.28

133.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$29.03 MYR 118

30.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$4.85 MYR 19.78

99.18%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.02 MYR 12.30

18.21%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.79 MYR 3.21

36.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.45 MYR 1.85

24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$4.48 MYR 18.24

-41.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$6.16 MYR 25.11

-50.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$2.11 MYR 8.60

2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.12 MYR 4.56

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.93 MYR 7.86

-9.84%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.46 MYR 10.01

15.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$14.24 MYR 58.0

-34.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$4.37 MYR 17.80

49.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$9.86 MYR 40.19

31.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$3.46 MYR 14.09

-51.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.78 MYR 7.25

3.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.27 MYR 9.24

-13.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.51 MYR 6.16

60.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.23 MYR 5.01

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.30 MYR 5.31

-43.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.14 MYR 4.64

17.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.71 MYR 2.88

8.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.29 MYR 17.46

-16.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$19.77 MYR 80.5

-61.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$3.36 MYR 13.71

-49.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$5.02 MYR 20.45

-52.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.70 MYR 2.86

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$12.44 MYR 50.7

22.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.20 MYR 4.87

-5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-37.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$4.98 MYR 20.30

137.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.89 MYR 3.62

62.92%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$44.5K MYR 181.5K

-44.83%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

-35.48%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$63.5 MYR 259

39.93%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$8.62 MYR 35.13

52.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$26.24 MYR 107

-25.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$49.20 MYR 200

30.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$7.32 MYR 29.84

160.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$4.97 MYR 20.27

43.26%

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

$375 ₾971

$472 MYR 1,921

-20.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$13.2K MYR 53.8K

-20.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$72.2 MYR 294

43.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$41.48 MYR 169

-5.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$83.9 MYR 342

39.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$94.3 MYR 384

29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$685 MYR 2,792

1.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$358 MYR 1,459

26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$1,212 MYR 4,938

11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$593 MYR 2,417

52.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$3,760 MYR 15.3K

-38.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,565 MYR 6,375

-14.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$1,458 MYR 5,939

-54.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.17

202.64%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3% 20.6% $93

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5% 17.2% $40

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1% 31.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2% 23.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2% 19.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5% 24.5% $19

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 3.5% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kuala Lumpur are about 2.2 times higher, 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 in Tbilisi versus $29 in Kuala Lumpur. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $274 in Kuala Lumpur – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Kuala Lumpur 7,080 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Kuala Lumpur

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 Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,611 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $695 in Tbilisi and $685 in Kuala Lumpur. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Tbilisi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $29 in Kuala Lumpur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kuala Lumpur costs $1,074 versus $1,269 in Tbilisi. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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