Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
Tashkent is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — Lijiang 3 vs Tashkent 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
| Item | Lijiang | Tashkent | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ¥ 35$4.93 | soʻm 40,000$3.38 | Tashkent −31% |
| Street food1 item | ¥ 12$1.69 | soʻm 20,000$1.69 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ¥ 80$11.3 | soʻm 120,000$10.2 | Tashkent −10% |
| Coffeeone cup | ¥ 25$3.52 | soʻm 25,000$2.11 | Tashkent −40% |
| Beerone bottle | ¥ 15$2.11 | soʻm 25,000$2.11 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ¥ 50$7.04 | soʻm 80,000$6.77 | similar |
| Bottled water | ¥ 3$0.42 | soʻm 3,000$0.25 | Tashkent −40% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ¥ 4$0.56 | soʻm 8,000$0.68 | Lijiang −17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ¥ 15$2.11 | soʻm 25,000$2.11 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ¥ 10$1.41 | soʻm 15,000$1.27 | Tashkent −10% |
| Transitone ride | ¥ 2$0.28 | soʻm 1,700$0.14 | Tashkent −49% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ¥ 80$11.3 | soʻm 35,000$2.96 | Tashkent −74% |
| Hotel night3-star | ¥ 250$35.2 | soʻm 600,000$50.8 | Lijiang −31% |
| Studio rent (month) | ¥ 1,500$211 | soʻm 5,500,000$465 | Lijiang −55% |
| Laundry | ¥ 20$2.82 | soʻm 15,000$1.27 | Tashkent −55% |
| SIM card1 week data | ¥ 100$14.1 | soʻm 50,000$4.23 | Tashkent −70% |
| Haircutcut | ¥ 25$3.52 | soʻm 60,000$5.08 | Lijiang −31% |
| Massage1 hour | ¥ 120$16.9 | soʻm 300,000$25.4 | Lijiang −33% |
| Half-day tourper person | ¥ 350$49.3 | soʻm 300,000$25.4 | Tashkent −49% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ¥ 100$14.1 | soʻm 40,000$3.38 | Tashkent −76% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Lijiang is 15% cheaper than Tashkent. Daily budget $73.4 vs $82.2; a month $1,258 vs $1,540.
Tashkent is easier: Tashkent 2.6/5 vs Lijiang 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lijiang is about $1,258 and Tashkent about $1,540 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.