There is a river that goes through the town and its inhabitants survive largely off of farming and lumber, though in recent years government restrictions have slowed this latter industry.

Like in much of Georgia, tourism is seen as the future source of income as the weather in lower Svaneti is not as severe and Lentekhi is one of the larger towns before arriving in Mestia.

Nevertheless, as in much of Svaneti, there has been a tendency for the younger generation to migrate to the larger cities or to find work overseas for economic reasons.

In 2019, Lentekhi removed a figure of the goddess Dali from the design of a fountain planned for the city's main square.

Metropolitan Stephan of the Georgian Orthodox eparchy of Tsageri and Lentekhi had strongly criticized the inclusion of the goddess as idolatry, although mayor Badri Liparteliani stated the change was intended to increase the fountain's efficiency and visual appeal.