Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shaoxing Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shaoxing

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $685 in Shaoxing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Tbilisi versus $1,098 in Shaoxing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,526 in Tbilisi versus $1,512 in Shaoxing.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 77% more expensive than Shaoxing, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Shaoxing 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 ₾28.69

$2.77 ¥18.76

289.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.18 ₾115

$20.61 ¥140

109.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 ₾22.02

$4.14 ¥28.01

100.24%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ₾7.96

$2.74 ¥18.54

9.49%

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

$0.82 ₾2.17

$0.45 ¥3.06

82.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.21

$0.26 ¥1.78

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 ₾5.93

$0.67 ¥4.53

232.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₾7.74

$1.71 ¥11.55

70.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.11

$2.22 ¥15.05

-13.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.81

$2.05 ¥13.91

-66.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ₾4.99

$0.77 ¥5.24

144.16%

Eggs

$2.54 ₾6.73

$1.54 ¥10.41

64.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 ₾19.69

$7.72 ¥52.3

-3.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ₾16.43

$2.83 ¥19.14

118.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₾24.86

$9.13 ¥61.9

2.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.25

$1.92 ¥13.04

-36.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₾4.40

$1.42 ¥9.59

16.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.78

$1.65 ¥11.14

9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾5.95

$1.21 ¥8.17

85.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.89

$0.87 ¥5.89

-18.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.79

$0.95 ¥6.45

-29.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.13

$0.81 ¥5.50

45.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.76

$0.61 ¥4.10

8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₾7.91

$3.44 ¥23.32

-13.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾20.20

$10.19 ¥69.0

-25.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.08

$0.79 ¥5.37

94.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.98

$1.55 ¥10.53

45.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.29 ¥1.97

24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 ₾38.35

$16.85 ¥114

-14.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ₾3.96

$1.56 ¥10.58

-4.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.82

$0.39 ¥2.62

74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 ₾19.19

$8.50 ¥57.6

-14.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.04

$1.14 ¥7.70

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

$18.5K ₾49.0K

$17.3K ¥117.5K

6.42%

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

$20.0K ₾53.0K

$14.7K ¥99.3K

36.24%

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

$73.7 ₾196

$42.83 ¥290

72.03%

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

$11.64 ₾30.90

$11.08 ¥75.1

5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 ₾47.38

$10.99 ¥74.4

62.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 ₾160

$41.87 ¥284

43.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ₾44.62

$13.96 ¥94.6

20.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ₾17.54

$5.46 ¥36.98

20.88%

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

$266 ₾707

$408 ¥2,765

-34.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,191 ₾13.8K

$18.4K ¥124.7K

-71.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾206

$42.01 ¥285

84.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 ₾119

$31.12 ¥211

43.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾310

$67.7 ¥458

72.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾300

$66.7 ¥452

69.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,839

$280 ¥1,897

147.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,226

$189 ¥1,280

144.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 ₾3,504

$597 ¥4,045

120.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₾2,056

$355 ¥2,404

118.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 ₾6,454

$3,194 ¥21.6K

-23.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 ₾3,839

$1,804 ¥12.2K

-19.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 ₾1,786

$891 ¥6,034

-24.48%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $280 in Shaoxing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaoxing pays 32% 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 $21.00 in Shaoxing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $190 per month, with Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tbilisi and Shaoxing differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $685 including rent). Shaoxing is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shaoxing earns 32% 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 $280 in Shaoxing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Tbilisi versus $408 in Shaoxing. 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 $685 in Shaoxing versus $1,209 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shaoxing but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.