Cost of Living in China
Summary of cost of living in China:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 1,870.1$ (13,407.4¥), excluding rent.
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 520.8$ (3,733.5¥), excluding rent.
- Cost of living in China is, on average, 55.0% lower than in United States.
- Rent in China is, on average, 74.8% lower than in United States.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 ¥ | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 170.00 ¥ | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 35.00 ¥ | |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 7.00 ¥ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 15.00 ¥ | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 21.68 ¥ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.31 ¥ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.04 ¥ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 48.90 ¥ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 10.59 ¥ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.07 ¥ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.45 ¥ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 42.73 ¥ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 10.63 ¥ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 34.76 ¥ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 5.82 ¥ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 4.13 ¥ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 4.83 ¥ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.81 ¥ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.39 ¥ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 2.91 ¥ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 4.28 ¥ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 3.96 ¥ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 80.00 ¥ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 5.80 ¥ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 11.80 ¥ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 25.00 ¥ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.70 ¥ | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 150.00 ¥ | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 10.00 ¥ | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.02 ¥ | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 48.00 ¥ | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 31.19 ¥ | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 140,000.00 ¥ | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 120,526.23 ¥ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 362.40 ¥ | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 64.30 ¥ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 81.00 ¥ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 286.57 ¥ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 105.28 ¥ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 45.00 ¥ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,937.63 ¥ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 126,664.47 ¥ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 325.89 ¥ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 236.02 ¥ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 516.77 ¥ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 534.13 ¥ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,092.86 ¥ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,815.26 ¥ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 6,477.49 ¥ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,845.81 ¥ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 4,195.81 ¥ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,992.56 ¥ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,608.59 ¥ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.05 |
Prices in China
This country had 15909 entries in the past 12 months by 1402 different contributors.
Last update: 11 July 2025
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.
Last update: 11 July 2025
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.
Sources and References
Moving to China? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
By City in China
Rank |
City |
Cost of Living Index |
Rent Index |
Cost of Living Plus Rent Index |
Groceries Index |
Restaurant Price Index |
Local Purchasing Power Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 38.5 | 25.5 | 32.8 | 37.0 | 29.1 | 90.3 | |
| Suzhou | 37.9 | 10.5 | 25.9 | 40.1 | 32.5 | 80.9 | |
| Beijing | 36.8 | 21.9 | 30.3 | 35.9 | 25.1 | 94.5 | |
| Shenzhen | 36.2 | 18.8 | 28.6 | 38.1 | 24.4 | 113.0 | |
| Guangzhou | 35.0 | 12.5 | 25.2 | 42.4 | 21.7 | 96.5 | |
| Hangzhou | 33.6 | 13.1 | 24.7 | 37.0 | 24.2 | 100.1 | |
| Nanjing | 29.7 | 11.0 | 21.5 | 33.2 | 21.5 | 92.6 | |
| Wuhan | 28.5 | 8.3 | 19.7 | 33.2 | 19.6 | 92.5 | |
| Chengdu | 27.7 | 7.3 | 18.8 | 33.1 | 20.7 | 91.9 |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in China
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida na China
|
 ItalianoCosto della Vita in Cina
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 FrançaisCoût de la Vie en Chine
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 EspañolCosto de Vida en China
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