Cost of Living in China
Summary of cost of living in China:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 1,876.6$ (13,443.8¥), excluding rent.
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 522.6$ (3,743.6¥), excluding rent.
- Cost of living in China is, on average, 54.8% lower than in United States.
- Rent in China is, on average, 74.5% 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) | 21.57 ¥ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.31 ¥ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.04 ¥ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 48.92 ¥ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 10.71 ¥ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.06 ¥ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.49 ¥ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 42.86 ¥ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 10.66 ¥ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 34.90 ¥ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 5.86 ¥ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 4.14 ¥ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 4.83 ¥ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.81 ¥ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.38 ¥ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 2.90 ¥ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 4.29 ¥ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 3.97 ¥ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 80.00 ¥ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 5.79 ¥ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 11.76 ¥ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 25.00 ¥ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 3.00 ¥ | |
| 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) | 120,712.83 ¥ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 362.45 ¥ | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 64.65 ¥ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 80.79 ¥ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 289.71 ¥ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 105.05 ¥ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 45.00 ¥ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,944.92 ¥ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 126,664.49 ¥ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 325.04 ¥ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 234.51 ¥ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 518.27 ¥ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 538.88 ¥ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,064.31 ¥ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,818.89 ¥ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 6,586.15 ¥ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,855.70 ¥ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 4,234.50 ¥ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 2,001.94 ¥ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,587.89 ¥ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.04 |
Prices in China
This country had 16487 entries in the past 12 months by 1435 different contributors.
Last update: 25 July 2025
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.
Last update: 25 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 | 38.6 | 25.5 | 32.9 | 36.9 | 28.7 | 92.2 | |
| Suzhou | 37.9 | 10.5 | 25.9 | 40.2 | 32.1 | 81.0 | |
| Beijing | 37.0 | 22.5 | 30.6 | 36.4 | 24.6 | 94.5 | |
| Shenzhen | 36.3 | 18.9 | 28.7 | 38.1 | 24.1 | 108.3 | |
| Guangzhou | 35.3 | 12.4 | 25.3 | 42.2 | 21.3 | 96.0 | |
| Hangzhou | 33.6 | 13.1 | 24.6 | 37.0 | 23.7 | 100.5 | |
| Qingdao, Shandong | 30.2 | 8.5 | 20.7 | 36.9 | 20.9 | 83.9 | |
| Nanjing | 29.7 | 11.0 | 21.6 | 33.2 | 21.2 | 92.6 | |
| Wuhan | 28.5 | 8.3 | 19.7 | 33.2 | 19.3 | 92.5 | |
| Chengdu | 27.7 | 7.3 | 18.8 | 33.1 | 20.4 | 92.1 | |
| Chongqing | 25.1 | 6.3 | 16.8 | 29.8 | 19.3 | 109.9 |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in China
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida na China
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 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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