Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Male

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,503 in Male, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Male outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Male

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $1,503 in Male.

Tbilisi $1,269
Male $1,503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $2,416 in Male.

Tbilisi $2,016
Male $2,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $3,329 in Male.

Tbilisi $2,763
Male $3,329

Living in Tbilisi costs roughly 16% less than in Male, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tbilisi is 7% below, Male is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$5.82 MVR 89.8

99.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$39.22 MVR 605

-3.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$9.64 MVR 149

0.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.81 MVR 74.2

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.50 MVR 53.9

2.00%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$1.60 MVR 24.74

-32.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.31 MVR 4.85

80.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$2.07 MVR 31.97

4.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.69 MVR 26.03

-52.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.20 MVR 18.58

45.00%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.87 MVR 28.91

51.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$10.46 MVR 161

-10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$6.20 MVR 95.6

5.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$9.20 MVR 142

40.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$3.99 MVR 61.5

-57.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$3.14 MVR 48.37

-41.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$4.17 MVR 64.3

-52.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$2.71 MVR 41.77

-10.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.09 MVR 32.19

-60.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.94 MVR 29.91

-61.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$2.16 MVR 33.27

-37.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.63 MVR 9.69

22.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.41 MVR 191

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MVR 41.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MVR 30.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$14.69 MVR 227

-75.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.63 MVR 9.71

-36.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$29.62 MVR 457

-48.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.93 MVR 29.70

-40.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$1.96 MVR 30.19

-60.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$10.14 MVR 156

16.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.98 MVR 15.05

47.96%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$32.8K MVR 505.8K

-25.08%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$29.9K MVR 461.0K

-25.29%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$118 MVR 1,812

-24.43%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$29.67 MVR 457

-55.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$73.0 MVR 1,126

-73.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$69.9 MVR 1,078

-8.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$33.50 MVR 517

-43.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$9.69 MVR 149

-26.52%

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

$375 ₾971

$188 MVR 2,896

99.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$2,954 MVR 45.6K

254.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$39.54 MVR 610

162.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$50.1 MVR 773

-21.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$85.9 MVR 1,325

36.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$52.9 MVR 816

130.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$939 MVR 14.5K

-25.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$686 MVR 10.6K

-34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$2,019 MVR 31.1K

-32.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$1,530 MVR 23.6K

-40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$2,275 MVR 35.1K

0.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,398 MVR 21.6K

-3.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$833 MVR 12.8K

-20.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

-9.86%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Male: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Male

$686 45.7% 52.2% $235

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Male

$235 15.7% 0.5% $1.2

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Male

$125 8.3% 34.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Male

$103 6.8% 40.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Male

$220 14.7% 81.1% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Male

$89 5.9% 14% $11

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Male

$44 2.9% 100% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $939 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 25% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $39 in Male for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $235 per month, with Tbilisi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇻 Male

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

07:51 7:51 AM

1 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

103,693 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, 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).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.17 MVR (100 MVR = 5.83 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Male 5,050 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Male

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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Tbilisi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Tbilisi versus $939 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tbilisi runs roughly 49% less than in Male. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,269 per month in Tbilisi versus $1,503 in Male – Tbilisi is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Tbilisi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

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