Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Aland Islands and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $1,772 in the Aland Islands, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in the Aland Islands
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Aland Islands Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇦🇽 Aland Islands

$1,772

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Aland Islands and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Aland Islands and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,772 in the Aland Islands versus $800 in China.

Aland Islands $1,772
China $800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,597 in the Aland Islands versus $1,266 in China.

Aland Islands $2,597
China $1,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,421 in the Aland Islands versus $1,731 in China.

Aland Islands $3,421
China $1,731

Internal cost variation is higher in the Aland Islands: monthly costs span $1,772 to $1,772, compared to $462–$1,256 in China. City choice carries more weight in the Aland Islands.

Living in the Aland Islands is roughly 121% more expensive than in China on average.

The Aland Islands (31% above) and China (41% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.49 €13.78

$2.92 ¥19.50

430.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 €78.2

$22.45 ¥150

291.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.61 €10.33

$5.33 ¥35.65

117.82%

Cappuccino

$4.93 €4.39

$3.04 ¥20.34

62.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.57

$0.48 ¥3.23

502.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$0.30 ¥2.02

766.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.80 €7.83

$1.07 ¥7.12

722.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.17 €8.15

$2.26 ¥15.11

305.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.75 ¥11.70

-27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 €2.83

$1.62 ¥10.80

96.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$0.99 ¥6.63

164.65%

Eggs

$3.03 €2.69

$1.56 ¥10.44

94.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.87 €10.56

$13.25 ¥88.6

-10.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 €8.42

$3.37 ¥22.50

180.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 €13.89

$11.39 ¥76.2

37.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$1.82 ¥12.19

40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.25 ¥8.34

56.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.19

$1.55 ¥10.39

59.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.47

$1.28 ¥8.55

204.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.71 ¥4.72

90.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.18

$0.86 ¥5.75

53.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.65 ¥4.36

240.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.91

$0.59 ¥3.97

264.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 €9.53

$3.76 ¥25.14

185.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 €12.49

$11.76 ¥78.6

19.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 €3.04

$0.91 ¥6.11

274.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.67

$1.62 ¥10.86

85.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 €1.87

$0.31 ¥2.10

580.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 €65.3

$22.75 ¥152

222.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 €6.82

$1.52 ¥10.17

404.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 €2.46

$0.37 ¥2.50

648.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.25 ¥8.38

86.40%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.4K ¥129.7K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$17.1K ¥114.4K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$224 €199

$55.5 ¥371

303.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$31.43 €27.96

$8.29 ¥55.4

279.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.79 €35.39

$10.97 ¥73.3

262.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 €13.97

$6.76 ¥45.18

132.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$465 ¥3,108

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 €80.9

$46.32 ¥310

96.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.74 €30.01

$36.30 ¥243

-7.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.4

$76.3 ¥510

45.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 €71.1

$78.8 ¥527

1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 €574

$396 ¥2,646

63.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 €494

$240 ¥1,604

131.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 €906

$822 ¥5,499

23.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 €623

$466 ¥3,116

50.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,559 €2,276

$4,544 ¥30.4K

-43.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,440 €1,281

$2,282 ¥15.3K

-36.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,649 €2,356

$1,075 ¥7,188

146.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

3.46

25.72%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for the Aland Islands: October 19, 2026

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aland Islands

$555 31.3%

China

$240 30% 56.8% $315

Groceries & Markets

Aland Islands

$343 19.4%

China

$209 26.1% 39.2% $135

Eating Out

Aland Islands

$302 17.1%

China

$89 11.1% 70.6% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aland Islands

$295 16.7%

China

$75 9.3% 74.7% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Aland Islands

$142 8%

China

$107 13.4% 24.6% $35

Getting Around

Aland Islands

$103 5.8%

China

$27 3.4% 73.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Aland Islands

$31 * 1.8%

China

$54 6.7% 71.5% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $655 in the Aland Islands, $299 in China. Capital cities: $655 in Mariehamn vs $945 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,682 in the Aland Islands, $870 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 119% higher in the Aland Islands.

Dining out costs 305% more in the Aland Islands.

Public transport is 335% more expensive in the Aland Islands.

Salaries are 208% higher in the Aland Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Aland Islands.

Good to know

🇦🇽 Aland Islands

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

14:38 2:38 PM

19:38 7:38 PM

5 h ahead of the Aland Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,144

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Aland Islands China 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Aland Islands
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aland Islands vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,772 per month in the Aland Islands and $800 in China, there's a 121% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $655 in the Aland Islands and $299 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the Aland Islands it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; the Aland Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.