Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lanzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Lanzhou: $712 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
Learn more

Tbilisi Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Lanzhou
Learn more

Lanzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Lanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Lanzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Tbilisi versus $712 in Lanzhou.

Tbilisi $1,266
Lanzhou $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Tbilisi versus $1,132 in Lanzhou.

Tbilisi $2,007
Lanzhou $1,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Tbilisi versus $1,553 in Lanzhou.

Tbilisi $2,749
Lanzhou $1,553

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 78% more expensive than in Lanzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$2.07 ¥13.83

456.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$28.47 ¥190

34.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$5.49 ¥36.69

78.51%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$2.53 ¥16.93

40.32%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$0.51 ¥3.39

107.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.31 ¥2.08

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$1.05 ¥7.03

162.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$1.83 ¥12.24

63.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.77 ¥11.82

22.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$1.63 ¥10.88

-53.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$0.97 ¥6.48

79.38%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$1.65 ¥11.03

69.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$13.22 ¥88.4

-30.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$3.30 ¥22.04

97.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$12.06 ¥80.6

6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$1.82 ¥12.20

-8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.33 ¥8.90

39.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$1.58 ¥10.53

25.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$1.30 ¥8.70

93.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$0.69 ¥4.60

26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$0.94 ¥6.28

-22.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$0.63 ¥4.18

125.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.60 ¥3.99

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$3.64 ¥24.36

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$11.50 ¥76.9

-31.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$0.86 ¥5.77

88.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$1.56 ¥10.44

52.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.29 ¥1.95

27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$17.98 ¥120

-13.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$1.46 ¥9.76

-21.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.33 ¥2.19

139.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$7.29 ¥48.76

58.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$1.51 ¥10.13

-0.66%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$18.7K ¥125.2K

31.50%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$15.8K ¥105.4K

41.91%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$58.2 ¥389

51.68%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$8.61 ¥57.6

51.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$11.46 ¥76.6

70.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$41.30 ¥276

55.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

$14.73 ¥98.5

30.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$6.52 ¥43.58

7.21%

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

$373 ₾966

$396 ¥2,648

-5.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$16.9K ¥112.9K

-36.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$42.29 ¥283

142.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$33.93 ¥227

19.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$74.7 ¥499

55.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$75.7 ¥506

61.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$305 ¥2,037

122.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$168 ¥1,126

169.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$608 ¥4,064

110.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$296 ¥1,981

200.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$2,700 ¥18.0K

-10.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$1,580 ¥10.6K

-10.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$927 ¥6,199

-24.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

320.67%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lanzhou: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Lanzhou

$168 23.7% 62.9% $286

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Lanzhou

$211 29.6% 9.5% $22

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Lanzhou

$76 10.6% 60.3% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Lanzhou

$102 14.3% 40.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Lanzhou

$78 11% 35.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Lanzhou

$54 7.6% 30.5% $24

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Lanzhou

$22 3.1% 0.7% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Tbilisi and $305 in Lanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lanzhou pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Tbilisi vs $28.00 in Lanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $211 per month, with Lanzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇨🇳 Lanzhou

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

17:59 5:59 PM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

3,688,400

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

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).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Lanzhou 5,050 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Lanzhou

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 Lanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Lanzhou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $666 in Tbilisi versus $305 in Lanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $377 in Tbilisi versus $396 in Lanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $712 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, Tbilisi and Lanzhou 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 78% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.