Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lanzhou and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Lanzhou: $719 a month against $1,266 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Lanzhou
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Lanzhou Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Lanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$719

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou and in Tbilisi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in Lanzhou versus $1,266 in Tbilisi.

Lanzhou $719
Tbilisi $1,266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,143 in Lanzhou versus $2,007 in Tbilisi.

Lanzhou $1,143
Tbilisi $2,007

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,567 in Lanzhou versus $2,749 in Tbilisi.

Lanzhou $1,567
Tbilisi $2,749

Living in Lanzhou costs roughly 43% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lanzhou 47% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ¥13.80

$11.34 ₾29.35

-81.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.34 ¥189

$39.05 ₾101

-27.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 ¥39.15

$9.63 ₾24.92

-39.15%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥20.89

$3.46 ₾8.95

-9.83%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$1.09 ₾2.82

-55.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.63 ₾1.62

-53.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ¥7.35

$2.77 ₾7.17

-60.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$3.10 ₾8.04

-34.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$2.25 ₾5.81

-21.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$0.80 ₾2.07

101.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.40

$1.76 ₾4.55

-45.45%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.72

$2.75 ₾7.11

-41.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 ¥88.4

$9.39 ₾24.32

40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ¥22.92

$6.66 ₾17.23

-48.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 ¥81.0

$12.92 ₾33.45

-6.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.67 ₾4.31

8.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.56

$1.80 ₾4.65

-28.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.97

$1.92 ₾4.97

-22.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$2.41 ₾6.24

-48.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$0.86 ₾2.23

-18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.69 ₾1.80

34.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.40 ₾3.62

-57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$0.71 ₾1.85

-22.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.19

$3.51 ₾9.08

7.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 ¥77.0

$7.61 ₾19.69

51.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.52

$1.63 ₾4.21

-49.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ¥10.25

$2.31 ₾5.98

-33.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.37 ₾0.96

-21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥121

$15.67 ₾40.57

15.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$1.14 ₾2.95

29.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.17

$0.79 ₾2.05

-59.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.12 ¥47.58

$11.86 ₾30.70

-39.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.73

$1.40 ₾3.62

4.29%

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

$17.5K ¥117.2K

$24.8K ₾64.2K

-29.28%

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

$15.0K ¥100.4K

$21.9K ₾56.6K

-31.33%

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

$58.0 ¥388

$89.1 ₾231

-34.91%

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

$8.79 ¥58.8

$13.21 ₾34.19

-33.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$19.76 ₾51.1

-43.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.33 ¥283

$64.9 ₾168

-34.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$19.02 ₾49.24

-22.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 ¥42.06

$6.57 ₾17.02

-4.26%

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

$412 ¥2,756

$377 ₾975

9.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ¥117.6K

$10.8K ₾27.9K

62.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.85 ¥287

$102 ₾265

-58.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 ¥224

$39.70 ₾103

-15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ¥505

$118 ₾305

-35.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 ¥495

$123 ₾320

-39.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,971

$666 ₾1,724

-55.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ¥1,126

$449 ₾1,163

-62.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,186

$1,284 ₾3,324

-51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ¥1,986

$890 ₾2,303

-66.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 ¥17.9K

$2,425 ₾6,276

10.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,611 ¥10.8K

$1,380 ₾3,573

16.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$953 ¥6,375

$680 ₾1,760

40.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

-76.23%

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

Last update for Lanzhou: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lanzhou

$209 29.1%

Tbilisi

$234 18.5% 11.7% $24

Accommodation & Living

Lanzhou

$168 23.4%

Tbilisi

$449 35.5% 167% $281

Clothing & Footwear

Lanzhou

$102 14.2%

Tbilisi

$172 13.6% 69.5% $71

Eating Out

Lanzhou

$84 11.7%

Tbilisi

$188 14.9% 123% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lanzhou

$78 10.9%

Tbilisi

$122 9.7% 56.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Lanzhou

$55 7.6%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 42.2% $23

Getting Around

Lanzhou

$22 3.1%

Tbilisi

$22 1.8% 0.3% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Lanzhou and $666 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lanzhou pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Lanzhou vs $39.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $234 per month, with Lanzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Lanzhou

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

12:41 12:41 PM

4 h behind Lanzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,688,400

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lanzhou Tbilisi 5,050 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lanzhou
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

Lanzhou vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Lanzhou, 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: $295 in Lanzhou versus $666 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $412 in Lanzhou versus $377 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $719 in Lanzhou versus $1,266 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lanzhou but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Lanzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lanzhou 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, Lanzhou and Tbilisi 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 Lanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.