Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Machakos

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $520 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Machakos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $520 in Machakos.

Tbilisi $1,269
Machakos $520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $802 in Machakos.

Tbilisi $2,016
Machakos $802

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,084 in Machakos.

Tbilisi $2,763
Machakos $1,084

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 144% more expensive than in Machakos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Machakos 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$2.99 KES 389

288.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$19.26 KES 2,500

96.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$6.26 KES 812

54.31%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.97 KES 255

81.22%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.66 KES 85.4

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.54 KES 69.6

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$2.16 KES 281

21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$2.67 KES 346

13.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$0.39 KES 50.9

456.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.48 KES 62.7

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$0.80 KES 104

117.50%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.36 KES 177

108.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$10.89 KES 1,413

-14.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$6.36 KES 826

2.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$4.71 KES 612

174.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$1.50 KES 195

12.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$0.81 KES 105

128.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$0.37 KES 47.49

432.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$0.40 KES 51.6

505.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$0.79 KES 102

3.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.76 KES 98.6

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.75 KES 97.6

78.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.39 KES 51.1

97.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.51 KES 455

1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$11.31 KES 1,468

-32.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.91 KES 248

-10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$2.70 KES 351

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$0.74 KES 96.4

54.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.75 KES 97.8

4.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$2.86 KES 371

313.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.50 KES 195

-3.33%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$19.1K KES 2.5M

28.54%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$21.7K KES 2.8M

2.80%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$57.0 KES 7,396

55.84%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$7.83 KES 1,017

67.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$11.58 KES 1,503

69.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$38.98 KES 5,060

64.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$7.66 KES 994

-7.05%

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

$375 ₾971

$45.51 KES 5,907

724.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-14.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$11.62 KES 1,509

791.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$28.49 KES 3,698

37.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$68.8 KES 8,923

70.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$38.19 KES 4,956

218.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$94.2 KES 12.2K

638.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$70.4 KES 9,132

541.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$155 KES 20.1K

775.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$116 KES 15.1K

678.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$385 KES 50.0K

72.53%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Machakos: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Machakos

$70 13.5% 84.4% $381

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Machakos

$161 31% 31.2% $73

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Machakos

$87 16.8% 54.2% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Machakos

$66 12.7% 61.5% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Machakos

$76 14.7% 37.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Machakos

$54 10.4% 30.7% $24

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9% 79.4% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $94 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 73% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $19 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $161 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇰🇪 Machakos

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

09:18 9:18 AM

1 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

114,109

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Machakos 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Machakos

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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $94 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $520 in Machakos – Machakos is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $520 in Machakos versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $800 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos 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 Machakos are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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