Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Nilai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nilai: $944 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Nilai
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Nilai Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Nilai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Nilai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $944 in Nilai.

Tbilisi $1,270
Nilai $944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $1,408 in Nilai.

Tbilisi $2,008
Nilai $1,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $1,873 in Nilai.

Tbilisi $2,745
Nilai $1,873

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 35% more expensive than in Nilai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Nilai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$3.61 MYR 14.71

218.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$19.70 MYR 80.4

94.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$6.16 MYR 25.13

59.09%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$3.45 MYR 14.09

2.90%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$0.81 MYR 3.32

30.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.38 MYR 1.56

63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$3.56 MYR 14.54

-22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$4.48 MYR 18.29

-33.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.73 MYR 7.05

24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$1.38 MYR 5.65

-44.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.43 MYR 5.84

21.68%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$2.22 MYR 9.06

25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-33.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$4.32 MYR 17.61

51.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$9.83 MYR 40.11

30.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$3.22 MYR 13.15

-48.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.69 MYR 6.91

9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$2.47 MYR 10.07

-19.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$1.55 MYR 6.33

61.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$1.28 MYR 5.21

-32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$1.29 MYR 5.27

-43.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$1.18 MYR 4.81

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.56 MYR 2.29

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$4.97 MYR 20.29

-31.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$20.83 MYR 85.0

-62.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$2.60 MYR 10.60

-37.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-45.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.73 MYR 2.99

-49.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$13.51 MYR 55.1

14.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$1.12 MYR 4.57

1.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.52 MYR 2.11

51.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$8.45 MYR 34.46

36.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$0.96 MYR 3.93

56.25%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$42.8K MYR 174.4K

-42.41%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$30.6K MYR 125.0K

-27.03%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$49.33 MYR 201

78.90%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$9.58 MYR 39.06

36.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$28.03 MYR 114

-30.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$36.98 MYR 151

73.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

$6.36 MYR 25.94

201.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$4.79 MYR 19.55

45.93%

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

$373 ₾966

$186 MYR 759

100.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$6,358 MYR 25.9K

68.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$49.57 MYR 202

107.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$37.46 MYR 153

8.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$75.4 MYR 308

54.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$81.2 MYR 331

50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$382 MYR 1,558

77.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$297 MYR 1,210

53.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$665 MYR 2,715

91.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$477 MYR 1,947

86.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$2,219 MYR 9,052

8.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$979 MYR 3,993

44.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$1,393 MYR 5,683

-49.55%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Nilai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Nilai

$297 31.4% 34.7% $158

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Nilai

$263 27.9% 13.1% $31

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Nilai

$120 12.8% 36.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Nilai

$110 11.6% 36.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Nilai

$87 9.2% 28.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Nilai

$47 4.9% 40.4% $32

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Nilai

$20 2.1% 8.8% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Tbilisi and $382 in Nilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nilai pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $20.00 in Nilai. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $263, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇾 Nilai

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

12:12 12:12 PM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

38,612

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Nilai 7,110 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Nilai

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 Nilai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nilai wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nilai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Nilai. 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: $677 in Tbilisi versus $382 in Nilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Tbilisi versus $944 in Nilai – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nilai runs roughly 15% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $944 in Nilai versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nilai but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Nilai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nilai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $944 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nilai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Nilai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.