Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karamay and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karamay: $731 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Karamay, China
Tbilisi, Georgia
Karamay
🇨🇳 China
$731
/mo nomad
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karamay and in Tbilisi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Karamay and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $731 per month in Karamay vs $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Karamay $731
  • Tbilisi $1,269

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Karamay vs $2,016 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Karamay $1,172
  • Tbilisi $2,016

A family of three spends $1,612 per month in Karamay vs $2,763 in Tbilisi, rent included.

  • Karamay $1,612
  • Tbilisi $2,763

Karamay is about 42% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Karamay and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Karamay 46% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Karamay
Tbilisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04 ¥20.20
$11.63 ₾30.07
-73.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.13 ¥147
$37.83 ₾97.8
-41.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.97 ¥33.05
$9.66 ₾24.98
-48.55%
Cappuccino
$2.84 ¥18.92
$3.57 ₾9.24
-20.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ¥3.14
$1.08 ₾2.78
-56.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ¥2.09
$0.56 ₾1.45
-44.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.06 ¥7.06
$2.62 ₾6.78
-59.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 ¥14.15
$3.04 ₾7.85
-29.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Karamay
Tbilisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 ¥12.35
$2.17 ₾5.60
-14.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.60 ¥10.65
$0.80 ₾2.06
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ¥6.74
$1.74 ₾4.51
-41.95%
Eggs
$1.60 ¥10.63
$2.83 ₾7.31
-43.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 ¥87.6
$9.31 ₾24.07
41.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.35 ¥22.32
$6.52 ₾16.85
-48.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.42 ¥76.0
$12.95 ₾33.50
-11.81%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 ¥12.17
$1.68 ₾4.34
8.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 ¥9.02
$1.85 ₾4.79
-26.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 ¥10.48
$1.97 ₾5.10
-19.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.26 ¥8.38
$2.42 ₾6.25
-47.93%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ¥5.01
$0.82 ₾2.11
-8.54%
Onion (1kg)
$0.97 ¥6.48
$0.74 ₾1.91
31.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ¥4.18
$1.34 ₾3.47
-52.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ¥3.98
$0.77 ₾2.00
-22.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.77 ¥25.06
$3.57 ₾9.24
5.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.33 ¥75.4
$7.67 ₾19.83
47.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 ¥5.85
$1.70 ₾4.39
-48.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ¥10.61
$2.40 ₾6.21
-33.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Karamay
Tbilisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 ¥2.17
$0.40 ₾1.05
-17.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.01 ¥127
$15.23 ₾39.38
24.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.47 ¥9.81
$1.14 ₾2.95
28.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 ¥2.16
$0.78 ₾2.02
-58.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.42 ¥49.40
$11.83 ₾30.58
-37.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 ¥8.38
$1.45 ₾3.75
-13.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.7K ¥124.4K
$24.6K ₾63.6K
-23.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.3K ¥102.0K
$22.3K ₾57.8K
-31.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karamay
Tbilisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$50.0 ¥333
$88.8 ₾230
-43.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.61 ¥57.3
$13.12 ₾33.93
-34.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.96 ¥72.9
$19.67 ₾50.9
-44.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Karamay
Tbilisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.43 ¥282
$64.1 ₾166
-33.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.34 ¥109
$19.04 ₾49.24
-14.18%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 ¥42.60
$7.12 ₾18.42
-10.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Karamay
Tbilisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 ¥2,869
$375 ₾971
14.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.4K ¥115.5K
$10.5K ₾27.1K
65.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Karamay
Tbilisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.82 ¥292
$104 ₾268
-57.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.60 ¥224
$39.26 ₾102
-14.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.6 ¥497
$117 ₾303
-36.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.4 ¥502
$122 ₾315
-38.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Karamay
Tbilisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$285 ¥1,896
$695 ₾1,798
-59.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$185 ¥1,229
$451 ₾1,167
-59.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$596 ¥3,964
$1,355 ₾3,504
-56.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$369 ¥2,455
$906 ₾2,343
-59.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,114 ¥20.7K
$2,295 ₾5,934
35.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,975 ¥13.1K
$1,345 ₾3,478
46.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Karamay
Tbilisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$604 ¥4,018
$664 ₾1,718
-9.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.36
12.62
-73.38%

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

Last update for Karamay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Karamay
$210
Tbilisi
$234 11.7% $24
Accommodation & Living
Karamay
$185
Tbilisi
$451 144% $266
Clothing & Footwear
Karamay
$102
Tbilisi
$172 68% $70
Eating Out
Karamay
$86
Tbilisi
$191 122% $105
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karamay
$70
Tbilisi
$122 74.7% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Karamay
$55
Tbilisi
$78 41.8% $23
Getting Around
Karamay
$23
Tbilisi
$22 6.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $285 in Karamay versus $695 in Tbilisi. 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 10% higher in Tbilisi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Karamay versus $38 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $234 – making Karamay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Karamay
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🕒 Local time
07:46 7:46 AM
03:46 3:46 AM
4 h behind Karamay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
490,348
1,241,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Karamay Tbilisi 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Karamay
  • Tbilisi

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
Karamay vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Karamay cheaper than Tbilisi?
Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,096 per month in Karamay and $1,904 in Tbilisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karamay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.
How do food prices compare in Karamay and in Tbilisi?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Tbilisi, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Karamay or in Tbilisi?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Karamay and $38 in Tbilisi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Karamay or in Tbilisi?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karamay, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Karamay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Karamay or in Tbilisi?
It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $731 in Karamay to $1,269 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Karamay. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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