Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Qingdao, Shandong

For one person, living is cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong: $773 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Qingdao, Shandong, China
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Qingdao, Shandong
🇨🇳 China
$773
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Qingdao, Shandong

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $773 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Qingdao, Shandong $773

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,221 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Qingdao, Shandong $1,221

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,669 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Qingdao, Shandong $1,669

Tbilisi costs about 64% more than Qingdao, Shandong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Qingdao, Shandong are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Qingdao, Shandong 43% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Qingdao, Shandong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$3.04 ¥20.20
282.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$18.01 ¥120
110.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$4.41 ¥29.32
119.05%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$2.71 ¥17.98
31.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$0.54 ¥3.58
100.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$0.32 ¥2.13
75.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$1.05 ¥6.97
149.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$2.63 ¥17.48
15.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Qingdao, Shandong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.92 ¥12.76
13.02%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$1.41 ¥9.39
-43.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.00 ¥6.63
74.00%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$1.33 ¥8.86
112.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$16.57 ¥110
-43.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$4.24 ¥28.16
53.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$9.62 ¥63.9
34.62%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.33
$1.40 ¥9.31
20.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.14 ¥7.56
62.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$1.71 ¥11.39
15.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$1.26 ¥8.40
92.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$0.68 ¥4.53
20.59%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$0.98 ¥6.49
-24.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$1.00 ¥6.67
34.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$0.61 ¥4.03
26.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$3.85 ¥25.56
-7.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$14.83 ¥98.6
-48.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$1.03 ¥6.86
65.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$1.56 ¥10.39
53.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Qingdao, Shandong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.40 ₾1.05
$0.29 ¥1.90
37.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.23 ₾39.38
$17.97 ¥119
-15.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$1.46 ¥9.69
-21.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$0.41 ¥2.74
90.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$9.14 ¥60.7
29.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$1.26 ¥8.40
15.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$19.6K ¥130.0K
25.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$17.4K ¥115.4K
28.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Qingdao, Shandong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$69.3 ¥460
28.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$6.65 ¥44.21
97.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$7.64 ¥50.7
157.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Qingdao, Shandong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$21.14 ¥140
202.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
$17.67 ¥117
7.75%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$6.29 ¥41.83
13.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Qingdao, Shandong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$364 ¥2,419
3.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$17.9K ¥119.0K
-41.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Qingdao, Shandong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$52.8 ¥350
96.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$48.91 ¥325
-19.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$94.5 ¥628
24.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$90.6 ¥602
34.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Qingdao, Shandong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$340 ¥2,256
104.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$197 ¥1,309
128.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$769 ¥5,110
76.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$401 ¥2,666
125.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$3,272 ¥21.7K
-29.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$2,096 ¥13.9K
-35.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Qingdao, Shandong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$1,220 ¥8,109
-45.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
3.37
274.48%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Qingdao, Shandong
$197 56.3% $254
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Qingdao, Shandong
$223 4.8% $11
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Qingdao, Shandong
$84 55.9% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Qingdao, Shandong
$129 24.9% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Qingdao, Shandong
$84 31.3% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Qingdao, Shandong
$34 56.9% $45
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Qingdao, Shandong
$23 3.4% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $340 in Qingdao, Shandong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 84% higher in Qingdao, Shandong, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $18 in Qingdao, Shandong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $223 – making Qingdao, Shandong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇨🇳 Qingdao, Shandong
🕒 Local time
15:00 3:00 PM
19:00 7:00 PM
4 h ahead of Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
10,071,722
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Qingdao, Shandong 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Qingdao, Shandong

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 Qingdao, Shandong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Qingdao, Shandong cheaper than Tbilisi?
Yes – Tbilisi is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $1,159 in Qingdao, Shandong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.
How do food prices compare in Tbilisi and in Qingdao, Shandong?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Tbilisi, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Tbilisi or in Qingdao, Shandong?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $18 in Qingdao, Shandong. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Tbilisi or in Qingdao, Shandong?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qingdao, Shandong, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Qingdao, Shandong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tbilisi or Qingdao, Shandong more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Qingdao, Shandong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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