Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shenzhen Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Shenzhen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,279 in Tbilisi versus $1,140 in Shenzhen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,011 in Tbilisi versus $1,759 in Shenzhen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Tbilisi versus $2,378 in Shenzhen.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 12% more expensive than in Shenzhen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 7% lower, Shenzhen 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 ₾29.72

$4.05 ¥27.11

182.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.16 ₾99.2

$29.95 ¥201

27.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 ₾24.45

$5.12 ¥34.27

83.59%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ₾8.78

$3.40 ¥22.78

-0.59%

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

$1.04 ₾2.70

$0.54 ¥3.61

92.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₾1.56

$0.35 ¥2.35

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 ₾7.05

$1.51 ¥10.11

79.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.90

$2.19 ¥14.69

38.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 ₾5.90

$1.57 ¥10.54

44.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₾2.04

$1.85 ¥12.39

-57.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₾4.21

$1.21 ¥8.12

33.88%

Eggs

$2.74 ₾7.13

$1.69 ¥11.34

62.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 ₾24.19

$22.16 ¥148

-58.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 ₾17.65

$3.69 ¥24.69

84.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 ₾33.84

$14.25 ¥95.4

-8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₾4.27

$2.31 ¥15.49

-29.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₾4.77

$1.60 ¥10.71

14.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ₾4.94

$1.82 ¥12.19

4.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 ₾6.68

$1.41 ¥9.43

82.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₾2.19

$1.17 ¥7.86

-28.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 ₾1.70

$1.54 ¥10.31

-57.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₾3.54

$0.58 ¥3.91

134.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₾2.07

$0.54 ¥3.62

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₾8.85

$4.39 ¥29.43

-22.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.94

$12.65 ¥84.7

-39.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₾4.36

$0.93 ¥6.21

80.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.18

$1.82 ¥12.16

30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₾1.02

$0.62 ¥4.18

-37.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 ₾40.44

$22.17 ¥148

-29.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.96

$1.47 ¥9.85

-22.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.93

$0.38 ¥2.51

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.32 ₾29.42

$7.42 ¥49.69

52.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₾3.60

$1.27 ¥8.50

8.66%

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

$24.6K ₾63.9K

$19.7K ¥131.8K

24.91%

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

$22.0K ₾57.2K

$18.2K ¥122.1K

20.67%

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

$88.7 ₾231

$61.2 ¥410

45.10%

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

$13.18 ₾34.26

$10.07 ¥67.5

30.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.68 ₾51.2

$14.90 ¥99.8

32.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ₾177

$49.64 ¥332

37.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 ₾46.65

$17.20 ¥115

4.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₾16.70

$7.67 ¥51.4

-16.30%

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

$372 ₾967

$524 ¥3,507

-28.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₾28.1K

$23.6K ¥158.2K

-54.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₾272

$49.44 ¥331

111.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.83 ₾101

$39.23 ¥263

-1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₾299

$68.6 ¥459

67.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾318

$89.2 ¥597

37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 ₾1,770

$764 ¥5,114

-10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ₾1,185

$473 ¥3,168

-3.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 ₾3,410

$1,851 ¥12.4K

-29.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 ₾2,321

$863 ¥5,777

3.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 ₾6,216

$13.6K ¥90.8K

-82.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,425 ₾3,704

$6,418 ¥43.0K

-77.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 ₾1,663

$1,688 ¥11.3K

-62.10%

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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $681 in Tbilisi and $764 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 164% 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 $30.00 in Shenzhen. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $258, 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 Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shenzhen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 164% lower in Shenzhen. 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 $764 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shenzhen runs roughly 43% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $372 in Tbilisi versus $524 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,140 in Shenzhen versus $1,279 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenzhen but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Shenzhen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Shenzhen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,140 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Shenzhen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.