Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Palembang

For one person, living is cheaper in Palembang: $611 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Palembang
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Palembang Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Palembang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Palembang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $611 in Palembang.

Tbilisi $1,270
Palembang $611

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $978 in Palembang.

Tbilisi $2,008
Palembang $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $1,345 in Palembang.

Tbilisi $2,745
Palembang $1,345

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 108% more expensive than in Palembang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Palembang 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

900.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$16.00 Rp 288.0K

139.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

257.66%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

164.93%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

19.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.23 Rp 4,135

169.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$1.64 Rp 29.6K

68.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$3.39 Rp 61.0K

-11.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.07 Rp 19.3K

101.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

-32.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$0.86 Rp 15.5K

102.33%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$1.23 Rp 22.2K

126.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$7.09 Rp 127.6K

29.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$3.00 Rp 53.9K

117.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$7.81 Rp 140.6K

64.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-25.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

42.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

17.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$1.27 Rp 22.9K

97.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

-32.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$1.99 Rp 35.7K

-63.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

82.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.44 Rp 7,855

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$2.18 Rp 39.3K

55.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$21.28 Rp 383.1K

-63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$1.83 Rp 33.0K

-11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$2.95 Rp 53.1K

-19.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.41 Rp 7,368

-9.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$0.49 Rp 8,793

132.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.34 Rp 6,206

132.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$2.68 Rp 48.3K

331.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

87.50%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$24.1K Rp 434.1M

2.11%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$30.5K Rp 548.4M

-26.59%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$65.9 Rp 1.2M

33.96%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$4.42 Rp 79.5K

195.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$18.99 Rp 341.8K

2.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$20.06 Rp 361.0K

219.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

$8.56 Rp 154.0K

124.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$2.80 Rp 50.5K

149.64%

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

$373 ₾966

$94.3 Rp 1.7M

295.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$7,626 Rp 137.3M

40.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$43.71 Rp 786.7K

134.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$28.70 Rp 516.5K

41.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$74.0 Rp 1.3M

57.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$71.8 Rp 1.3M

69.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$231 Rp 4.2M

193.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$145 Rp 2.6M

213.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$542 Rp 9.8M

135.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$357 Rp 6.4M

149.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$1,159 Rp 20.9M

107.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$797 Rp 14.3M

77.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$305 Rp 5.5M

130.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

9.46

33.40%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Palembang: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Palembang

$145 23.7% 68.1% $309

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Palembang

$196 32.1% 15.8% $37

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Palembang

$53 8.7% 72.2% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Palembang

$98 16.1% 42.8% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Palembang

$89 14.6% 26.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Palembang

$26 4.2% 67.2% $52

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Palembang

$3.9 * 0.6% 82.6% $18

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 $677 in Tbilisi and $231 in Palembang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 130% 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: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $16.00 in Palembang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $196 per month, with Palembang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇮🇩 Palembang

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

22:29 10:29 PM

3 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,708,413

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Palembang 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Palembang

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 Palembang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palembang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 130% 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: $677 in Tbilisi versus $231 in Palembang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $373 in Tbilisi versus $94.3 in Palembang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Palembang – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $611 in Palembang versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palembang but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Palembang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Palembang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Palembang 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 Palembang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.