Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lanzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Lanzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tbilisi versus $646 in Lanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Tbilisi versus $1,016 in Lanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Tbilisi versus $1,386 in Lanzhou.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 85% more expensive than in Lanzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Lanzhou 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₾28.38

$2.05 ¥13.86

427.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.85 ₾115

$20.92 ¥141

109.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ₾21.79

$6.22 ¥42.00

33.60%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₾7.78

$2.95 ¥19.91

0.68%

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

$0.77 ₾2.01

$0.40 ¥2.72

92.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.20

$0.27 ¥1.82

70.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ₾5.63

$0.58 ¥3.89

268.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₾7.52

$1.64 ¥11.11

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₾4.99

$1.60 ¥10.83

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₾1.86

$1.61 ¥10.90

-55.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₾5.00

$0.94 ¥6.35

103.19%

Eggs

$2.48 ₾6.52

$1.82 ¥12.32

36.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₾20.29

$12.73 ¥86.0

-39.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ₾16.20

$3.16 ¥21.37

95.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₾25.11

$8.85 ¥59.8

8.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 ₾3.06

$1.80 ¥12.16

-35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₾4.34

$1.44 ¥9.74

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.84

$1.30 ¥8.79

42.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 ₾6.11

$0.94 ¥6.35

147.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.85

$0.48 ¥3.25

47.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.76

$0.88 ¥5.93

-23.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₾3.12

$0.46 ¥3.08

158.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.72

$0.52 ¥3.48

26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₾7.65

$3.18 ¥21.48

-8.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₾20.17

$11.56 ¥78.1

-33.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₾4.18

$0.75 ¥5.05

112.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₾6.06

$1.57 ¥10.62

47.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾1.01

$0.27 ¥1.80

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.76 ₾38.71

$16.53 ¥112

-10.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ₾3.92

$1.37 ¥9.29

9.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.77

$0.20 ¥1.36

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 ₾19.03

$2.44 ¥16.49

197.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₾2.87

$1.36 ¥9.22

-19.85%

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

$18.6K ₾48.8K

$19.7K ¥133.0K

-5.44%

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

$20.5K ₾53.7K

$16.5K ¥111.7K

23.77%

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

$73.0 ₾191

$44.89 ¥303

62.62%

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

$11.97 ₾31.40

$10.02 ¥67.7

19.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ₾47.21

$11.66 ¥78.8

54.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 ₾160

$41.19 ¥278

48.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 ₾43.33

$13.76 ¥93.0

20.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₾17.58

$6.14 ¥41.46

9.12%

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

$269 ₾705

$339 ¥2,291

-20.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,152 ₾13.5K

$28.0K ¥189.2K

-81.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 ₾201

$44.28 ¥299

72.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 ₾114

$29.89 ¥202

45.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₾316

$70.3 ¥475

71.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₾290

$40.96 ¥277

169.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 ₾1,802

$275 ¥1,858

149.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 ₾1,234

$159 ¥1,077

195.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 ₾3,549

$601 ¥4,060

125.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ₾2,069

$273 ¥1,846

188.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₾6,472

$2,679 ¥18.1K

-7.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ₾3,817

$1,710 ¥11.6K

-14.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 ₾1,729

$926 ¥6,258

-28.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

3.87

207.24%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lanzhou: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Tbilisi and $275 in Lanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lanzhou pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Tbilisi vs $21.00 in Lanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $193 per month, with Lanzhou 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

Tbilisi vs Lanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% 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: $687 in Tbilisi versus $275 in Lanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tbilisi versus $339 in Lanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Lanzhou versus $1,197 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 85% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.