Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Zhongshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Zhongshan

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

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Tbilisi vs $695 in Zhongshan, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,270
Zhongshan $695

A couple spends around $2,008 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,110 in Zhongshan, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,008
Zhongshan $1,110

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,525 in Zhongshan, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,745
Zhongshan $1,525

Tbilisi costs about 83% more than Zhongshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tbilisi and Zhongshan are more affordable than the global median – Tbilisi 6% lower, Zhongshan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 ₾29.79

$3.01 ¥20.14

282.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.27 ₾99.1

$24.23 ¥162

57.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₾25.36

$4.45 ¥29.76

120.22%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₾9.19

$2.83 ¥18.91

25.44%

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

$1.06 ₾2.74

$0.47 ¥3.11

125.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₾1.60

$0.29 ¥1.91

113.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

$0.77 ¥5.13

258.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

$1.80 ¥12.05

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₾5.59

$1.53 ¥10.26

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₾1.96

$1.64 ¥10.99

-53.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$0.68 ¥4.56

155.88%

Eggs

$2.79 ₾7.21

$1.24 ¥8.29

125.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

$20.87 ¥140

-55.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

$2.80 ¥18.72

133.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

$13.54 ¥90.5

-5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

$2.14 ¥14.34

-21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

$1.08 ¥7.20

71.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

$0.68 ¥4.56

191.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

$1.46 ¥9.76

71.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

$0.58 ¥3.89

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

$0.72 ¥4.84

1.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

$0.43 ¥2.86

230.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

$0.53 ¥3.56

35.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

$2.93 ¥19.58

15.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

$11.80 ¥78.9

-33.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

$0.69 ¥4.62

134.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

$1.81 ¥12.12

31.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

$0.29 ¥1.91

27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

$15.11 ¥101

2.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

$1.45 ¥9.68

-21.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

$0.41 ¥2.75

92.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

$7.01 ¥46.88

65.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

$1.30 ¥8.70

15.38%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

25.45%

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

$18.2K ¥121.6K

22.94%

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

$88.3 ₾228

$40.99 ¥274

115.30%

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

$10.15 ¥67.9

28.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

$12.59 ¥84.2

55.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 ₾166

$67.0 ¥448

-4.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

$7.62 ¥50.9

151.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

$5.81 ¥38.88

20.31%

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

$373 ₾966

$317 ¥2,117

17.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

$13.4K ¥89.4K

-20.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

$48.42 ¥324

112.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

$39.64 ¥265

2.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

$59.9 ¥401

94.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

$75.5 ¥505

61.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₾1,753

$210 ¥1,407

221.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₾1,176

$125 ¥834

264.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

$376 ¥2,517

239.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ₾2,304

$217 ¥1,453

309.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

$2,531 ¥16.9K

-4.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

$1,509 ¥10.1K

-6.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 ₾1,819

$956 ¥6,391

-26.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

3.35

276.72%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$454 35.8%

Zhongshan

$125 17.9% 72.5% $329

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$233 18.3%

Zhongshan

$226 32.5% 3% $7

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Zhongshan

$82 11.8% 57.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Zhongshan

$101 14.5% 41.4% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Zhongshan

$64 9.2% 47.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Zhongshan

$79 11.3% 0.7% $0.5

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Zhongshan

$20 2.8% 10.6% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $677 in Tbilisi versus $210 in Zhongshan. 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 36% higher in Zhongshan, 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 $38.00 in Tbilisi versus $24.00 in Zhongshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $233 vs $226 – making Zhongshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

10:30 10:30 AM

4 h ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

3,209,600

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

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Between locations

Tbilisi Zhongshan 6,620 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Zhongshan

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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,270 in Tbilisi, $695 in Zhongshan – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Tbilisi and $1,043 in Zhongshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhongshan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Tbilisi and $24.00 in Zhongshan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,270 in Tbilisi and $695 in Zhongshan. That's a gap of about 83%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zhongshan, where all-in costs run around $695, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Zhongshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $695 in Zhongshan to $1,270 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zhongshan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.