Cost of Living in China
Summary of cost of living in China:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 1,872.6$ (13,436.1¥), excluding rent.
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 521.1$ (3,739.1¥), excluding rent.
- Cost of living in China is, on average, 54.9% lower than in United States.
- Rent in China is, on average, 74.6% lower than in United States.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 ¥ | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 171.00 ¥ | |
| 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) | 21.56 ¥ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.31 ¥ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.03 ¥ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 48.92 ¥ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 10.71 ¥ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.07 ¥ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.47 ¥ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 42.87 ¥ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 10.68 ¥ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 34.84 ¥ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 5.88 ¥ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 4.15 ¥ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 4.84 ¥ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.82 ¥ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.38 ¥ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 2.90 ¥ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 4.28 ¥ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 3.95 ¥ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 80.00 ¥ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 5.79 ¥ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 11.74 ¥ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 25.00 ¥ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.85 ¥ | |
| 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) | 31.18 ¥ | |
| 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) | 120,895.35 ¥ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 363.34 ¥ | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 64.95 ¥ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 80.98 ¥ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 290.70 ¥ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 105.54 ¥ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 45.00 ¥ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,942.67 ¥ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 127,008.99 ¥ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 325.63 ¥ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 234.14 ¥ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 518.84 ¥ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 539.98 ¥ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,073.43 ¥ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,813.34 ¥ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 6,609.52 ¥ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,858.96 ¥ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 4,218.92 ¥ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,998.96 ¥ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,596.28 ¥ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.03 |
Prices in China
This country had 16652 entries in the past 12 months by 1442 different contributors.
Last update: 30 July 2025
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.
Last update: 30 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 | 38.9 | 25.6 | 33.1 | 36.8 | 29.2 | 91.2 | |
| Suzhou | 38.0 | 10.5 | 26.0 | 40.1 | 32.7 | 80.6 | |
| Beijing | 37.1 | 22.5 | 30.7 | 36.3 | 25.1 | 93.9 | |
| Shenzhen | 36.4 | 18.9 | 28.7 | 37.9 | 24.5 | 109.0 | |
| Guangzhou | 35.4 | 12.4 | 25.3 | 42.2 | 21.7 | 95.4 | |
| Hangzhou | 33.7 | 13.1 | 24.7 | 36.9 | 24.1 | 99.9 | |
| Qingdao, Shandong | 30.3 | 8.5 | 20.8 | 36.8 | 21.3 | 83.4 | |
| Nanjing | 29.8 | 11.0 | 21.6 | 33.1 | 21.6 | 92.1 | |
| Wuhan | 28.5 | 7.9 | 19.5 | 32.7 | 20.0 | 96.2 | |
| Chengdu | 27.8 | 7.3 | 18.8 | 33.0 | 20.8 | 91.5 | |
| Chongqing | 25.2 | 6.6 | 17.0 | 29.7 | 19.6 | 100.0 |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in China
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida na China
|
 ItalianoCosto della Vita in Cina
|
 FrançaisCoût de la Vie en Chine
|
 EspañolCosto de Vida en China
|