Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kulim

For one person, living is cheaper in Kulim: $891 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Kulim
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Kulim Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Kulim

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kulim

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $891 in Kulim, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Kulim $891

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,374 in Kulim, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Kulim $1,374

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,857 in Kulim, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Kulim $1,857

Tbilisi costs about 43% more than Kulim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Kulim are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Kulim 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$3.72 MYR 15.17

212.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$19.45 MYR 79.3

94.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$4.53 MYR 18.45

113.25%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.89 MYR 11.76

23.53%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.78 MYR 3.19

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.42 MYR 1.70

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$3.90 MYR 15.90

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$4.61 MYR 18.76

-34.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.96 MYR 7.97

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.23 MYR 5.00

-34.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.30 MYR 5.29

33.85%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.23 MYR 9.07

26.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$12.68 MYR 51.7

-26.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$3.85 MYR 15.70

69.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$10.72 MYR 43.69

20.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$3.05 MYR 12.42

-44.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.89 MYR 7.68

-2.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.55 MYR 10.37

-22.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.44 MYR 5.88

68.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.19 MYR 4.83

-31.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.36 MYR 5.54

-45.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.08 MYR 4.41

24.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.53 MYR 2.15

45.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.47 MYR 18.22

-20.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$21.05 MYR 85.8

-63.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$3.07 MYR 12.49

-44.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$3.90 MYR 15.90

-38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.75 MYR 3.06

-46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$12.64 MYR 51.5

20.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.04 MYR 4.23

9.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.56 MYR 2.28

39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$8.26 MYR 33.64

43.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.74 MYR 3.00

95.95%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$48.9K MYR 199.1K

-49.71%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$30.9K MYR 125.9K

-27.74%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$45.19 MYR 184

96.50%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$8.70 MYR 35.44

50.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$25.83 MYR 105

-23.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$36.10 MYR 147

77.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$7.37 MYR 30.04

158.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$4.46 MYR 18.16

59.64%

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

$375 ₾971

$268 MYR 1,091

40.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$7,096 MYR 28.9K

47.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$62.2 MYR 253

66.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$30.78 MYR 125

27.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$77.2 MYR 314

52.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$70.8 MYR 289

71.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$419 MYR 1,707

65.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$265 MYR 1,079

70.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$763 MYR 3,110

77.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$497 MYR 2,026

82.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$2,141 MYR 8,723

7.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,272 MYR 5,184

5.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.06

210.84%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kulim: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Kulim

$265 29.7% 41.3% $186

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Kulim

$262 29.4% 11.8% $28

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Kulim

$112 12.5% 41.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Kulim

$108 12.2% 36.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Kulim

$80 9% 34.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Kulim

$45 5.1% 42.5% $33

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Kulim

$19 2.2% 11.1% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $419 in Kulim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $19 in Kulim. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $262 in Kulim – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇾 Kulim

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

20:09 8:09 PM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

319,056

💱 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 = 0.221 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 28, 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Kulim 6,810 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Kulim

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 Kulim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi costs about 43% more than Kulim, 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 $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,336 in Kulim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kulim, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Tbilisi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $19 in Kulim. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,269 in Tbilisi and $891 in Kulim. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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.