Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Chingola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $421 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Chingola

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi versus $421 in Chingola.

Tbilisi $1,269
Chingola $421

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,016 in Tbilisi versus $715 in Chingola.

Tbilisi $2,016
Chingola $715

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,763 in Tbilisi versus $1,010 in Chingola.

Tbilisi $2,763
Chingola $1,010

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 202% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Chingola 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$14.78 ZMW 298

-21.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.8

$24.36 ZMW 491

55.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$0.49 ZMW 9.85

120.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$0.34 ZMW 6.83

64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$0.57 ZMW 11.53

359.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.85

$1.21 ZMW 24.32

151.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.72 ZMW 34.68

26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.15 ZMW 23.12

-30.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.42 ZMW 48.65

-28.10%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$1.82 ZMW 36.58

55.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.07

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.85

$5.19 ZMW 105

25.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$4.36 ZMW 87.9

197.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.33

$2.03 ZMW 40.79

-17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.96 ZMW 39.43

-5.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$2.03 ZMW 40.87

-2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$1.97 ZMW 39.69

22.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$2.89 ZMW 58.2

-71.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.47 ZMW 29.61

-49.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.81 ZMW 16.37

-4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$1.46 ZMW 29.47

144.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.83

$4.90 ZMW 98.7

56.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$0.63 ZMW 12.68

169.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$0.72 ZMW 14.53

233.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.58 ZMW 11.59

34.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.58

$9.86 ZMW 198

19.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.32 ZMW 26.67

9.85%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

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

$88.8 ₾230

$50.6 ZMW 1,019

75.42%

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

$13.12 ₾33.93

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$9.87 ZMW 199

548.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.24

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

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

$375 ₾971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$20.03 ZMW 403

417.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$12.37 ZMW 249

217.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾303

$49.22 ZMW 991

138.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$74.4 ZMW 1,498

63.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,504

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,343

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,934

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,478

$14.6K ZMW 294.7K

-90.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$108 ZMW 2,177

514.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chingola: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Chingola

–

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Chingola

–

Cost Breakdown

Tbilisi pays about 6.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $24 in Chingola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $160 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

12:39 12:39 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

210,073

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.97 USD

100 ZMW = 4.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 20.14 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.97 USD). 1 EUR = 22.48 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.45 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Chingola 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Chingola

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 Chingola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is about 67% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Tbilisi is about 6.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $24 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $421 in Chingola versus $1,269 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chingola but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Chingola 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.

It comes down to priorities – Chingola wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.