Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shanghai Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shanghai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,279 in Tbilisi versus $1,236 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,011 in Tbilisi versus $1,976 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Tbilisi versus $2,717 in Shanghai.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 3% more expensive than in Shanghai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 ₾29.72

$4.56 ¥30.52

150.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.16 ₾99.2

$29.50 ¥198

29.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 ₾24.45

$5.37 ¥35.98

75.05%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ₾8.78

$3.21 ¥21.49

5.30%

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

$1.04 ₾2.70

$0.61 ¥4.06

70.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₾1.56

$0.38 ¥2.56

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 ₾7.05

$1.21 ¥8.13

123.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.90

$2.71 ¥18.15

12.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 ₾5.90

$1.96 ¥13.13

15.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₾2.04

$1.85 ¥12.37

-57.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₾4.21

$1.04 ¥6.96

55.77%

Eggs

$2.74 ₾7.13

$1.57 ¥10.49

74.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 ₾24.19

$17.49 ¥117

-46.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 ₾17.65

$3.32 ¥22.23

104.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 ₾33.84

$13.58 ¥91.0

-4.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.27

$2.12 ¥14.20

-22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₾4.77

$1.77 ¥11.84

3.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ₾4.94

$1.99 ¥13.33

-4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 ₾6.68

$1.77 ¥11.84

45.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.19

$0.81 ¥5.44

3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.70

$1.01 ¥6.78

-35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₾3.54

$0.70 ¥4.68

94.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$0.66 ¥4.44

21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₾8.85

$3.80 ¥25.46

-10.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.94

$10.30 ¥69.0

-25.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₾4.36

$0.94 ¥6.27

78.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.18

$1.58 ¥10.58

50.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₾1.02

$0.59 ¥3.92

-33.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 ₾40.44

$29.87 ¥200

-47.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.96

$2.21 ¥14.83

-48.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.93

$0.47 ¥3.15

57.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.32 ₾29.42

$8.95 ¥60.0

26.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₾3.60

$1.28 ¥8.54

7.81%

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

$24.6K ₾63.9K

$19.6K ¥131.0K

25.62%

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

$22.0K ₾57.2K

$19.0K ¥127.1K

15.89%

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

$88.7 ₾231

$59.3 ¥397

49.55%

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

$13.18 ₾34.26

$8.62 ¥57.7

52.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.68 ₾51.2

$9.90 ¥66.3

98.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ₾177

$65.6 ¥439

4.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 ₾46.65

$16.45 ¥110

9.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₾16.70

$9.09 ¥60.9

-29.37%

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

$372 ₾967

$1,439 ¥9,638

-74.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾28.1K

$25.8K ¥172.6K

-58.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₾272

$53.1 ¥355

96.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.83 ₾101

$37.80 ¥253

2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₾299

$74.3 ¥497

54.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾318

$107 ¥720

13.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 ₾1,770

$1,007 ¥6,743

-32.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,185

$565 ¥3,781

-19.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 ₾3,410

$2,406 ¥16.1K

-45.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 ₾2,321

$1,212 ¥8,120

-26.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 ₾6,216

$13.8K ¥92.5K

-82.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,425 ₾3,704

$6,147 ¥41.2K

-76.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 ₾1,663

$1,734 ¥11.6K

-63.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

3.36

275.60%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: September 5, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $681 in Tbilisi and $1,007 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 171% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Tbilisi vs $29.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $240, 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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Shanghai differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,279 vs $1,236 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 171% lower in Shanghai. 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: $681 in Tbilisi versus $1,007 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $372 in Tbilisi versus $1,439 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,236 in Shanghai versus $1,279 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Shanghai 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.