Cost of Living Comparison Between Lhasa and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lhasa and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $692 in Lhasa versus $1,218 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,118 in Lhasa versus $1,853 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,544 in Lhasa versus $2,489 in Tbilisi.

Living in Lhasa costs roughly 43% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lhasa 48% lower, Tbilisi 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 ¥22.99

$10.85 ₾28.75

-68.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.31 ¥185

$44.17 ₾117

-38.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 ¥45.82

$8.28 ₾21.94

-18.12%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥20.43

$3.02 ₾8.00

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

$0.44 ¥2.98

$0.76 ₾2.02

-42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$0.46 ₾1.22

-28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ¥8.58

$2.24 ₾5.93

-43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.92

$3.00 ₾7.95

-41.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ¥13.96

$1.93 ₾5.11

6.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.39

$0.72 ₾1.91

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.12

$1.84 ₾4.87

-58.70%

Eggs

$2.47 ¥16.69

$2.45 ₾6.48

0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.66 ¥45.05

$7.43 ₾19.67

-10.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.77 ¥18.70

$6.48 ₾17.16

-57.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 ¥69.2

$9.70 ₾25.70

5.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.34

$1.20 ₾3.18

76.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.42

$1.56 ₾4.14

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.31

$1.79 ₾4.75

-22.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.67

$2.23 ₾5.90

-62.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.67

$0.65 ₾1.73

6.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.16

$0.68 ₾1.79

33.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.08

$1.19 ₾3.16

-49.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.36

$0.70 ₾1.86

12.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 ¥20.98

$2.95 ₾7.82

5.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥74.0

$7.33 ₾19.41

49.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥5.03

$1.52 ₾4.02

-51.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.87

$2.25 ₾5.95

-28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.82

$0.36 ₾0.95

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.61 ¥112

$14.60 ₾38.68

13.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.57

$1.50 ₾3.97

-5.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$0.73 ₾1.92

-61.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 ¥45.92

$7.45 ₾19.74

-8.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.80

$1.14 ₾3.01

14.04%

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

$19.3K ¥130.2K

$18.5K ₾49.0K

4.04%

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

$16.5K ¥111.4K

$20.3K ₾53.6K

-18.67%

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

$45.22 ¥306

$73.9 ₾196

-38.79%

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

$9.75 ¥66.0

$11.71 ₾31.01

-16.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.17 ¥103

$18.16 ₾48.09

-16.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.28 ¥286

$61.7 ₾163

-31.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.87 ¥93.8

$16.66 ₾44.12

-16.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ¥50.3

$6.61 ₾17.50

12.41%

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

$335 ¥2,268

$264 ₾700

26.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ¥113.5K

$5,145 ₾13.6K

226.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.42 ¥206

$74.9 ₾198

-59.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 ¥203

$43.98 ₾117

-31.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 ¥461

$118 ₾312

-42.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.37 ¥300

$114 ₾301

-61.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥1,898

$692 ₾1,833

-59.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 ¥1,252

$454 ₾1,203

-59.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 ¥4,059

$1,323 ₾3,504

-54.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ¥2,399

$789 ₾2,089

-55.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,216 ¥21.7K

$2,431 ₾6,440

32.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ¥12.1K

$1,441 ₾3,818

24.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,092 ¥14.1K

$645 ₾1,709

224.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

11.89

-67.45%

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

Last update for Lhasa: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Lhasa and $692 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lhasa pays 224% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Lhasa vs $44.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $204 per month, with Lhasa cheaper across the board.

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

Lhasa vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lhasa and Tbilisi differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($692 vs $1,218 including rent). Lhasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lhasa pays 224% more on average, 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: $281 in Lhasa versus $692 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lhasa – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $44.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $692 in Lhasa versus $1,218 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lhasa but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Lhasa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lhasa 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 Lhasa 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.