Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ningbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Ningbo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $823 in Ningbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Tbilisi versus $1,331 in Ningbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,526 in Tbilisi versus $1,840 in Ningbo.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 47% more expensive than Ningbo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Ningbo 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 ₾28.69

$3.21 ¥21.76

236.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.18 ₾115

$24.85 ¥168

73.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 ₾22.02

$4.29 ¥29.04

93.24%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ₾7.96

$3.14 ¥21.26

-4.46%

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

$0.82 ₾2.17

$0.45 ¥3.04

82.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.21

$0.26 ¥1.75

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 ₾5.93

$0.89 ¥6.00

150.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₾7.74

$2.05 ¥13.89

42.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.11

$2.00 ¥13.53

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.81

$2.81 ¥19.01

-75.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ₾4.99

$0.83 ¥5.64

126.51%

Eggs

$2.54 ₾6.73

$1.38 ¥9.35

84.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 ₾19.69

$21.27 ¥144

-65.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ₾16.43

$4.96 ¥33.61

24.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₾24.86

$11.66 ¥79.0

-19.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.25

$1.96 ¥13.27

-37.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₾4.40

$1.42 ¥9.59

16.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.78

$2.23 ¥15.09

-19.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾5.95

$1.10 ¥7.46

103.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.89

$0.62 ¥4.22

14.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.79

$0.81 ¥5.46

-17.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.13

$0.59 ¥4.01

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.76

$0.61 ¥4.12

8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₾7.91

$5.37 ¥36.36

-44.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾20.20

$7.98 ¥54.1

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.08

$1.14 ¥7.74

35.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.98

$1.95 ¥13.18

15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.27 ¥1.81

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 ₾38.35

$16.39 ¥111

-11.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ₾3.96

$1.64 ¥11.08

-9.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.82

$0.32 ¥2.19

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 ₾19.19

$6.89 ¥46.66

4.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.04

$1.15 ¥7.80

-0.87%

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

$18.5K ₾49.0K

$21.9K ¥148.6K

-15.86%

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

$20.0K ₾53.0K

$19.5K ¥132.0K

2.47%

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

$73.7 ₾196

$65.3 ¥442

12.80%

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

$11.64 ₾30.90

$15.43 ¥105

-24.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 ₾47.38

$6.98 ¥47.28

155.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 ₾160

$21.89 ¥148

174.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ₾44.62

$13.03 ¥88.3

28.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ₾17.54

$8.25 ¥55.9

-20.00%

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

$266 ₾707

$599 ¥4,055

-55.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,191 ₾13.8K

$15.6K ¥105.8K

-66.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾206

$42.73 ¥289

81.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 ₾119

$28.84 ¥195

55.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾310

$69.7 ¥472

67.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾300

$62.3 ¥422

81.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,839

$373 ¥2,527

85.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,226

$258 ¥1,745

79.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 ₾3,504

$879 ¥5,952

50.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₾2,056

$493 ¥3,339

57.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 ₾6,454

$4,638 ¥31.4K

-47.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 ₾3,839

$2,605 ¥17.6K

-44.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 ₾1,786

$1,193 ¥8,083

-43.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

4.85

145.15%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $373 in Ningbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ningbo pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $25.00 in Ningbo. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $252, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ningbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ningbo wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ningbo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Ningbo earns 77% less. 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: $693 in Tbilisi versus $373 in Ningbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Tbilisi versus $599 in Ningbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $823 in Ningbo versus $1,209 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ningbo but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Ningbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ningbo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $823 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ningbo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Ningbo 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 Ningbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.