Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kurunegala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurunegala: $498 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kurunegala
Learn more

Kurunegala Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kurunegala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kurunegala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $498 in Kurunegala.

Tbilisi $1,278
Kurunegala $498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Tbilisi versus $807 in Kurunegala.

Tbilisi $2,017
Kurunegala $807

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Tbilisi versus $1,116 in Kurunegala.

Tbilisi $2,755
Kurunegala $1,116

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 157% more expensive than in Kurunegala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 5% lower, Kurunegala 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$1.83 LKR 610

534.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$24.67 LKR 8,207

55.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$7.47 LKR 2,484

30.39%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.56 LKR 853

39.06%

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

$1.08 ₾2.80

$0.67 LKR 223

61.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.27 LKR 89.9

107.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$2.18 LKR 724

25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$3.00 LKR 997

4.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.58 LKR 526

35.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.56 LKR 187

33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$0.75 LKR 248

140.00%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.66 LKR 551

68.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$15.58 LKR 5,181

-39.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$5.09 LKR 1,694

37.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.83

$7.78 LKR 2,588

63.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$6.54 LKR 2,177

-75.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$0.87 LKR 291

111.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$4.15 LKR 1,379

-52.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$1.34 LKR 445

84.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.08 LKR 358

-30.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.83 LKR 277

-19.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$1.20 LKR 400

17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.46 LKR 152

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$10.12 LKR 3,367

-65.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$13.58 LKR 4,517

-41.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.98 LKR 657

-14.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$2.86 LKR 950

-17.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$0.37 LKR 125

221.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.30 LKR 101

146.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$0.94 LKR 314

1164.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$0.95 LKR 315

53.68%

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

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$43.1K LKR 14.3M

-42.07%

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

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$44.8K LKR 14.9M

-49.05%

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

$88.1 ₾228

$58.1 LKR 19.3K

51.74%

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

$12.71 ₾32.87

$4.31 LKR 1,434

194.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$20.95 LKR 6,969

-5.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.59

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$4.49 LKR 1,492

48.11%

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

$371 ₾961

$39.43 LKR 13.1K

841.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$16.9K LKR 5.6M

-45.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$18.04 LKR 6,001

466.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$17.71 LKR 5,890

123.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

52.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$40.86 LKR 13.6K

192.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,523

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,891

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,564

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

$152 LKR 50.7K

365.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

12.5

0.24%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kurunegala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Kurunegala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Kurunegala

$246 49.4% 4.5% $11

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Kurunegala

$88 17.8% 53.8% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Kurunegala

$69 13.9% 59.4% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Kurunegala

$83 16.7% 30.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Kurunegala

$9 * 1.8% 88.4% $69

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Kurunegala

$1.9 * 0.4% 91.2% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Tbilisi pays about 4.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $25 in Kurunegala. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $246, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇱🇰 Kurunegala

🕒 Local time

11:54 11:54 AM

13:24 1:24 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

30,300

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Kurunegala 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Kurunegala

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 Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurunegala is about 61% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Tbilisi is about 4.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $371 in Tbilisi versus $39 in Kurunegala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurunegala – a meal for two runs $25 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $498 in Kurunegala versus $1,278 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kurunegala but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Kurunegala wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.