Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Putian

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,270
/mo nomad
Putian
🇨🇳 China
$518
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Putian

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi versus $518 in Putian.

  • Tbilisi $1,270
  • Putian $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Tbilisi versus $854 in Putian.

  • Tbilisi $2,008
  • Putian $854

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Tbilisi versus $1,190 in Putian.

  • Tbilisi $2,745
  • Putian $1,190

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 145% more expensive than in Putian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 6% lower, Putian 62% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Putian
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.51 ₾29.79
$2.21 ¥14.79
420.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.27 ₾99.1
$23.26 ¥156
64.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.80 ₾25.36
$5.17 ¥34.57
89.56%
Cappuccino
$3.55 ₾9.19
$2.44 ¥16.32
45.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 ₾2.74
$0.43 ¥2.88
146.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 ₾1.60
$0.29 ¥1.92
113.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.76 ₾7.16
$0.77 ¥5.16
258.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 ₾7.77
$2.93 ¥19.58
2.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Putian
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 ₾5.59
$1.47 ¥9.82
46.94%
White Bread (500g)
$0.76 ₾1.96
$2.25 ¥15.07
-66.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$0.93 ¥6.19
87.10%
Eggs
$2.79 ₾7.21
$1.58 ¥10.58
76.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 ₾23.83
$11.73 ¥78.4
-21.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.53 ₾16.89
$2.43 ¥16.22
168.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.81 ₾33.17
$12.18 ¥81.4
5.17%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 ₾4.31
$2.55 ¥17.03
-34.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.42 ¥9.49
30.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 ₾5.13
$1.70 ¥11.34
16.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.51 ₾6.49
$1.98 ¥13.25
26.77%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 ₾2.26
$1.02 ¥6.79
-14.71%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 ₾1.89
$1.77 ¥11.86
-58.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 ₾3.67
$0.93 ¥6.19
52.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₾1.88
$0.50 ¥3.36
44.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.38 ₾8.74
$3.04 ¥20.31
11.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.84 ₾20.31
$11.18 ¥74.8
-29.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ₾4.19
$0.83 ¥5.58
95.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 ₾6.15
$1.71 ¥11.44
39.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Putian
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 ₾0.96
$0.74 ¥4.92
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.52 ₾40.16
$22.38 ¥150
-30.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.94
$1.52 ¥10.16
-25.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 ₾2.05
$0.29 ¥1.94
172.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.57 ₾29.96
$7.02 ¥46.94
64.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 ₾3.87
$1.31 ¥8.76
14.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.7K
$19.4K ¥129.8K
26.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K ₾57.9K
$17.8K ¥118.8K
25.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Putian
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.3 ₾228
$44.03 ¥294
100.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.08 ₾33.86
$8.87 ¥59.3
47.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.53 ₾50.6
$10.55 ¥70.6
85.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Putian
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.2 ₾166
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.18 ₾49.66
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.99 ₾18.10
$10.08 ¥67.4
-30.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Putian
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$373 ₾966
$492 ¥3,286
-24.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K ₾27.7K
$24.5K ¥163.6K
-56.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Putian
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 ₾266
$39.10 ¥261
162.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 ₾105
$29.11 ¥195
39.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 ₾301
$103 ¥691
12.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾316
$85.7 ¥573
42.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Putian
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$677 ₾1,753
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$454 ₾1,176
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,277 ₾3,305
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 ₾2,304
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 ₾6,238
$2,637 ¥17.6K
-8.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,418 ₾3,670
$1,115 ¥7,452
27.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Putian
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$703 ₾1,819
$480 ¥3,211
46.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
3.46
264.74%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$454
Putian
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$233
Putian
$215 7.5% $18
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Putian
$75 60.6% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Putian
$116 32.5% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$121
Putian
$63 47.5% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Putian
$20 * 74.2% $58
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Putian
$28 28% $6.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Tbilisi pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $23.00 in Putian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $215 per month, with Putian cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇨🇳 Putian
🕒 Local time
07:09 7:09 AM
11:09 11:09 AM
4 h ahead of Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
1,954,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 23, 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Putian 6,890 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Putian

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 Putian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Putian cheaper than Tbilisi?
Putian is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 145% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Tbilisi or Putian?
Average pay runs 46% higher in Tbilisi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $373 in Tbilisi versus $492 in Putian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Tbilisi and in Putian?
Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Tbilisi or in Putian?
At $518 in Putian versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putian but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Putian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Tbilisi or Putian more family-friendly?
For families, Putian 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.
Which city is safer, Tbilisi or Putian?
Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Putian are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Putian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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