Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Sarawak

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $954 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
Learn more

Sarawak Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Sarawak

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $954 in Sarawak, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Sarawak $954

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,408 in Sarawak, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Sarawak $1,408

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,862 in Sarawak, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Sarawak $1,862

Tbilisi costs about 33% more than Sarawak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Sarawak are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Sarawak 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$3.58 MYR 14.60

224.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$19.96 MYR 81.3

89.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$4.70 MYR 19.16

105.53%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$2.96 MYR 12.06

20.61%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.77 MYR 3.13

40.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.39 MYR 1.59

43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$3.95 MYR 16.08

-33.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$4.57 MYR 18.63

-33.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.75 MYR 7.13

24.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.22 MYR 4.98

-34.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.36 MYR 5.53

27.94%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$2.26 MYR 9.20

25.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

$14.46 MYR 58.9

-35.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$4.07 MYR 16.58

60.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$9.85 MYR 40.13

31.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$2.90 MYR 11.81

-42.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.45 MYR 5.89

27.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.38 MYR 9.72

-17.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.31 MYR 5.34

84.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-40.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.11 MYR 4.50

20.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.46 MYR 1.89

67.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.27 MYR 17.41

-16.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$16.86 MYR 68.7

-54.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$2.93 MYR 11.94

-41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$4.03 MYR 16.40

-40.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.75 MYR 3.05

-46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

$10.56 MYR 43.04

44.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.12 MYR 4.55

1.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.51 MYR 2.08

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$6.93 MYR 28.22

70.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$0.77 MYR 3.15

88.31%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$50.4K MYR 205.2K

-51.21%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$39.9K MYR 162.5K

-43.99%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$52.9 MYR 216

67.77%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

$10.66 MYR 43.43

23.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$29.13 MYR 119

-32.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$40.05 MYR 163

59.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

$7.22 MYR 29.42

163.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$5.60 MYR 22.83

27.14%

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

$375 ₾971

$241 MYR 981

55.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$6,956 MYR 28.3K

50.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$58.1 MYR 237

78.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$29.97 MYR 122

31.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$87.0 MYR 354

34.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$75.9 MYR 309

60.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$410 MYR 1,669

69.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$318 MYR 1,297

41.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

$704 MYR 2,870

92.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

$491 MYR 2,000

84.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

$2,170 MYR 8,841

5.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$1,323 MYR 5,393

1.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$349 MYR 1,420

90.57%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Sarawak

$318 33.4% 29.4% $133

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Sarawak

$249 26.1% 6.5% $15

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Sarawak

$112 11.7% 41.3% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Sarawak

$113 11.8% 34.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Sarawak

$93 9.7% 23.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Sarawak

$51 5.4% 34.5% $27

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Sarawak

$17 1.8% 21.3% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $410 in Sarawak. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 91% higher in Tbilisi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $20 in Sarawak. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Tbilisi vs $249 in Sarawak – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

04:36 4:36 AM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Sarawak 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Sarawak

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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $954 in Sarawak – Sarawak comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,430 in Sarawak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarawak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $410 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Sarawak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Tbilisi and $241 in Sarawak. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $954, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Sarawak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sarawak – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sarawak. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.