Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shah Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Shah Alam: $937 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
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Shah Alam Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Shah Alam

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

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Tbilisi vs $937 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,270
Shah Alam $937

A couple spends around $2,008 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,432 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,008
Shah Alam $1,432

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,927 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,745
Shah Alam $1,927

Tbilisi costs about 36% more than Shah Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Shah Alam are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Shah Alam 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$3.69 MYR 15.07

211.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$19.56 MYR 79.8

95.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$4.05 MYR 16.52

141.98%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$2.98 MYR 12.17

19.13%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$0.72 MYR 2.95

47.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.38 MYR 1.57

63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$3.40 MYR 13.86

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$4.34 MYR 17.69

-30.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.87 MYR 7.63

15.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$1.09 MYR 4.43

-30.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$1.48 MYR 6.05

17.57%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$2.24 MYR 9.12

24.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$13.92 MYR 56.8

-33.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$4.37 MYR 17.81

49.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$9.48 MYR 38.67

35.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$3.45 MYR 14.08

-51.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.64 MYR 6.71

12.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$1.82 MYR 7.40

37.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$1.21 MYR 4.93

-28.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$2.02 MYR 8.26

-63.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$1.44 MYR 5.86

-1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.58 MYR 2.35

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$4.37 MYR 17.82

-22.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$18.51 MYR 75.5

-57.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$4.45 MYR 18.15

-46.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.75 MYR 3.07

-50.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$16.00 MYR 65.3

-3.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$1.24 MYR 5.05

-8.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.37 MYR 1.53

113.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$7.23 MYR 29.51

60.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$0.80 MYR 3.26

87.50%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$46.1K MYR 188.3K

-46.64%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$36.2K MYR 147.7K

-38.22%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$37.60 MYR 153

134.71%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$10.01 MYR 40.84

30.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$28.97 MYR 118

-32.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$40.53 MYR 165

58.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

$5.02 MYR 20.48

282.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$6.41 MYR 26.17

9.05%

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

$373 ₾966

$196 MYR 800

90.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$4,644 MYR 18.9K

130.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$58.4 MYR 238

75.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$39.89 MYR 163

1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$67.8 MYR 276

71.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$68.5 MYR 279

78.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$339 MYR 1,384

99.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$308 MYR 1,258

47.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$569 MYR 2,322

124.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$553 MYR 2,255

60.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$1,519 MYR 6,197

58.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$1,170 MYR 4,772

21.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$1,244 MYR 5,076

-43.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

4.04

212.38%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Shah Alam

$308 32.9% 32.1% $146

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Shah Alam

$263 28.1% 13.1% $30

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Shah Alam

$108 11.5% 43.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Shah Alam

$106 11.3% 38.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Shah Alam

$77 8.2% 36.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Shah Alam

$53 5.7% 31.7% $25

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Shah Alam

$22 2.4% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $677 in Tbilisi versus $339 in Shah Alam. 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 77% higher in Shah Alam, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $20.00 in Shah Alam. Groceries tell a different story – $233 in Tbilisi vs $263 in Shah Alam – so Tbilisi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

23:29 11:29 PM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

812,327

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Shah Alam 7,070 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Shah Alam

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 Shah Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Tbilisi and $1,405 in Shah Alam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shah Alam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi and $20.00 in Shah Alam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,270 in Tbilisi and $937 in Shah Alam. That's a gap of about 36%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shah Alam, where all-in costs run around $937, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Shah Alam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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