Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Mandalay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandalay: $240 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Mandalay

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$240

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Mandalay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $240 in Mandalay.

Tbilisi $1,269
Mandalay $240

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $415 in Mandalay.

Tbilisi $2,016
Mandalay $415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $590 in Mandalay.

Tbilisi $2,763
Mandalay $590

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 430% more expensive than in Mandalay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Mandalay 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$1.97 MMK 4,117

490.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$9.83 MMK 20.6K

284.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.26 MMK 2,635

183.33%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.87 MMK 1,827

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.02 MMK 2,141

-45.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$0.99 MMK 2,064

164.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$1.28 MMK 2,686

137.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.03 MMK 2,153

110.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$0.98 MMK 2,061

-18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$0.54 MMK 1,127

222.22%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.00 MMK 2,100

183.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$10.03 MMK 21.0K

-7.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$5.98 MMK 12.5K

9.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$7.01 MMK 14.7K

84.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$4.15 MMK 8,683

-59.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.03 MMK 2,150

79.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.26 MMK 2,645

56.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$0.71 MMK 1,494

240.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.33 MMK 2,789

-38.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.17 MMK 2,457

-36.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$0.38 MMK 806

252.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.31 MMK 650

148.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.02 MMK 2,145

250.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$4.91 MMK 10.3K

56.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$0.59 MMK 1,242

188.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.41 MMK 868

90.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$3.90 MMK 8,170

203.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

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

$88.8 ₾230

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$6.79 MMK 14.2K

93.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$17.71 MMK 37.1K

261.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

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

$375 ₾971

$241 MMK 504.3K

55.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$5,733 MMK 12.0M

82.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$199 MMK 416.9K

249.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$298 MMK 624.5K

354.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

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

$204 MMK 427.0K

225.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mandalay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Mandalay

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Mandalay

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Mandalay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Mandalay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Mandalay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Mandalay

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Mandalay

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Tbilisi and $199 in Mandalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays about 3.3 times 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 $10 in Mandalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $167 per month, with Mandalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇲 Mandalay

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

12:39 12:39 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,208,099

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.28 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, 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).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,338 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.28 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Mandalay 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Mandalay

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 Mandalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandalay wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mandalay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Tbilisi is about 3.3 times higher, 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 $199 in Mandalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% 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 $240 in Mandalay – Mandalay is about 81% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $240 in Mandalay versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $800 budget is realistic in Mandalay but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Mandalay 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.

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