Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Tonghua

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonghua: $643 a month against $1,269 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tbilisi, Georgia
Tonghua, China
Tbilisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$1,269
/mo nomad
Tonghua
🇨🇳 China
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Tonghua

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $643 in Tonghua, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $1,269
  • Tonghua $643

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,038 in Tonghua, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,016
  • Tonghua $1,038

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,432 in Tonghua, rent included.

  • Tbilisi $2,763
  • Tonghua $1,432

Tbilisi costs about 97% more than Tonghua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Tonghua are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 7% lower, Tonghua 53% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tbilisi
Tonghua
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 ₾30.07
$2.27 ¥15.08
412.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.83 ₾97.8
$22.26 ¥148
69.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 ₾24.98
$5.23 ¥34.79
84.70%
Cappuccino
$3.57 ₾9.24
$2.21 ¥14.73
61.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₾2.78
$0.43 ¥2.88
151.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₾1.45
$0.36 ¥2.38
55.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 ₾6.78
$0.74 ¥4.90
254.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ₾7.85
$1.83 ¥12.17
66.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
Tonghua
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ₾5.60
$1.69 ¥11.24
28.40%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₾2.06
$2.16 ¥14.34
-62.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 ₾4.51
$1.03 ¥6.88
68.93%
Eggs
$2.83 ₾7.31
$1.05 ¥6.99
169.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 ₾24.07
$13.73 ¥91.4
-32.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.52 ₾16.85
$2.97 ¥19.74
119.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.95 ₾33.50
$6.92 ¥46.03
87.14%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 ₾4.34
$1.01 ¥6.74
66.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ₾4.79
$1.07 ¥7.15
72.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ₾5.10
$0.81 ¥5.38
143.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₾6.25
$1.07 ¥7.14
126.17%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 ₾2.11
$0.86 ¥5.71
-4.65%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 ₾1.91
$1.03 ¥6.85
-28.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.34 ₾3.47
$0.58 ¥3.87
131.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₾2.00
$0.65 ¥4.32
18.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.57 ₾9.24
$3.72 ¥24.77
-4.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 ₾19.83
$11.76 ¥78.3
-34.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₾4.39
$0.69 ¥4.57
146.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₾6.21
$1.15 ¥7.63
108.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Tbilisi
Tonghua
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
$18.11 ¥121
-15.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.14 ₾2.95
$0.88 ¥5.87
29.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ₾2.02
$0.39 ¥2.57
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.83 ₾30.58
$3.01 ¥20.05
293.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ₾3.75
$1.24 ¥8.22
16.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K ₾63.6K
$19.4K ¥128.8K
26.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K ₾57.8K
$17.1K ¥114.0K
30.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
Tonghua
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₾230
$23.30 ¥155
281.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 ₾33.93
$5.98 ¥39.77
119.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.67 ₾50.9
$8.88 ¥59.1
121.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
Tonghua
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.1 ₾166
$42.23 ¥281
51.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04 ₾49.24
$14.79 ¥98.4
28.74%
Cinema Ticket
$7.12 ₾18.42
$6.05 ¥40.26
17.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tbilisi
Tonghua
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$375 ₾971
$300 ¥1,994
25.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ₾27.1K
$14.9K ¥99.0K
-29.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
Tonghua
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₾268
$22.75 ¥151
355.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₾102
$33.44 ¥223
17.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₾303
$61.0 ¥406
92.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 ₾315
$69.0 ¥459
76.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
Tonghua
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 ₾1,798
$285 ¥1,897
143.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 ₾1,167
$186 ¥1,237
142.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ₾3,504
$598 ¥3,978
126.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 ₾2,343
$361 ¥2,404
150.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,295 ₾5,934
$3,262 ¥21.7K
-29.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,345 ₾3,478
$1,980 ¥13.2K
-32.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tbilisi
Tonghua
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 ₾1,718
$501 ¥3,336
32.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.62
4
215.50%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tonghua: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tbilisi
$451
Tonghua
$186 58.8% $265
Groceries & Markets
Tbilisi
$234
Tonghua
$188 19.8% $46
Eating Out
Tbilisi
$191
Tonghua
$71 62.8% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Tbilisi
$172
Tonghua
$84 51.3% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tbilisi
$122
Tonghua
$38 68.6% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Tbilisi
$78
Tonghua
$54 30.6% $24
Getting Around
Tbilisi
$22
Tonghua
$22 0.8% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $285 in Tonghua. 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 33% higher in Tbilisi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $22 in Tonghua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $188 – making Tonghua the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇪 Tbilisi
🇨🇳 Tonghua
🕒 Local time
08:25 8:25 AM
12:25 12:25 PM
4 h ahead of Tbilisi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,241,700 Capital
446,917
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tbilisi Tonghua 6,460 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tbilisi
  • Tonghua

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 Tonghua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tbilisi and in Tonghua compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $643 in Tonghua – Tonghua comes out roughly 49% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Tbilisi compared to Tonghua?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $964 in Tonghua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Tbilisi and Tonghua?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tonghua, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $695 in Tbilisi.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $22 in Tonghua. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tbilisi or Tonghua?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $643 in Tonghua. That makes Tonghua about 49% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tonghua, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Tbilisi at $1,269. In Tonghua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Tbilisi or Tonghua?
Families tend to lean toward Tonghua – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Tbilisi and Tonghua?
If budget matters most, go with Tonghua. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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