Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Bahamas and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $3,377 in the Bahamas, rent and utilities included – about $31,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

161

Cost of Living Index in the Bahamas
Learn more

Bahamas Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$3,377

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Bahamas 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 Bahamas and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,377 in the Bahamas versus $791 in China.

Bahamas $3,377
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,923 in the Bahamas versus $1,251 in China.

Bahamas $5,923
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,469 in the Bahamas versus $1,711 in China.

Bahamas $8,469
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in the Bahamas: monthly costs span $27 to $4,294, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in the Bahamas.

Living in the Bahamas is roughly 327% more expensive than in China on average.

The Bahamas (148% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$49.01 BSD 49.01

$2.98 ¥19.81

1544.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$162 BSD 162

$22.09 ¥147

635.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 BSD 11.84

$5.20 ¥34.60

127.69%

Cappuccino

$5.46 BSD 5.46

$2.97 ¥19.74

83.84%

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

$3.16 BSD 3.16

$0.48 ¥3.19

558.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BSD 1.98

$0.30 ¥2.01

560.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 BSD 4.89

$1.08 ¥7.18

352.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 BSD 8.14

$2.28 ¥15.15

257.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.09 BSD 4.09

$1.80 ¥11.96

127.22%

White Bread (500g)

$5.38 BSD 5.38

$1.68 ¥11.15

220.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 BSD 6.18

$0.92 ¥6.13

571.74%

Eggs

$8.58 BSD 8.58

$1.61 ¥10.73

432.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 BSD 12.69

$13.38 ¥89.1

-5.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.59 BSD 12.59

$3.35 ¥22.28

275.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 BSD 17.12

$11.35 ¥75.5

50.84%

Apples (1kg)

$7.20 BSD 7.20

$1.82 ¥12.12

295.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.83 BSD 3.83

$1.31 ¥8.69

192.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.62 BSD 6.62

$1.49 ¥9.89

344.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.96 BSD 9.96

$1.27 ¥8.47

684.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 BSD 3.13

$0.71 ¥4.73

340.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.66 BSD 3.66

$0.93 ¥6.21

293.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.42 BSD 4.42

$0.62 ¥4.12

612.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 BSD 2.77

$0.56 ¥3.74

394.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 BSD 14.92

$3.78 ¥25.15

294.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$28.55 BSD 28.55

$12.13 ¥80.8

135.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 BSD 4.62

$0.83 ¥5.54

456.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 BSD 4.11

$1.68 ¥11.21

144.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 BSD 2.13

$0.29 ¥1.92

634.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 BSD 152

$17.83 ¥119

751.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 BSD 7.79

$1.49 ¥9.89

422.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 BSD 2.97

$0.37 ¥2.49

702.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$76.0 BSD 76.0

$7.10 ¥47.24

970.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 BSD 1.52

$1.26 ¥8.37

20.63%

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

$38.2K BSD 38.2K

$19.4K ¥129.4K

96.39%

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

$41.5K BSD 41.5K

$17.5K ¥116.7K

136.51%

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

$315 BSD 315

$54.6 ¥363

476.74%

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

$63.1 BSD 63.1

$8.73 ¥58.1

622.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 BSD 101

$11.07 ¥73.7

811.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$113 BSD 113

$40.77 ¥271

177.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.06 BSD 46.06

$14.48 ¥96.4

218.09%

Cinema Ticket

$18.95 BSD 18.95

$6.78 ¥45.12

179.50%

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

$942 BSD 942

$517 ¥3,438

82.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K BSD 15.4K

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 BSD 54.0

$46.53 ¥310

15.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$84.2 BSD 84.2

$35.66 ¥237

136.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 BSD 113

$77.0 ¥512

47.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 BSD 108

$80.3 ¥534

34.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 BSD 1,089

$386 ¥2,567

182.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 BSD 1,251

$235 ¥1,561

433.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,554 BSD 3,554

$822 ¥5,469

332.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,509 BSD 3,509

$453 ¥3,015

674.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,035 BSD 6,035

$4,697 ¥31.3K

28.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,429 BSD 3,429

$2,372 ¥15.8K

44.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 BSD 2,474

$1,093 ¥7,275

126.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.82

3.46

241.62%

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

Last update for the Bahamas: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bahamas

$1.3K 37%

China

$235 29.6% 81.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Bahamas

$597 17.7%

China

$210 26.5% 64.8% $387

Eating Out

Bahamas

$554 16.4%

China

$88 11.1% 84.1% $466

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahamas

$479 14.2%

China

$74 9.4% 84.5% $404

Getting Around

Bahamas

$183 5.4%

China

$22 2.8% 87.8% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Bahamas

$162 4.8%

China

$108 13.6% 33.4% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Bahamas

$151 4.5%

China

$54 6.9% 64% $97

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,140 in the Bahamas, $298 in China. Capital cities: $1,495 in Nassau vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,211 in the Bahamas, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 283% higher in the Bahamas.

Dining out costs 586% more in the Bahamas.

Public transport is 728% more expensive in the Bahamas.

Salaries are about 2.5 times higher in the Bahamas, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇧🇸 Bahamas

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

10:27 10:27 AM

12 h ahead of the Bahamas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

399,440

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.898 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BSD – Bahamian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇸 Bahamian Dollar ($)

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 BSD (1 BSD = 0.898 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to BSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bahamas China 12,650 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Bahamas
China

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bahamas vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $3,377 per month in the Bahamas and $791 in China, China comes out about 77% cheaper. 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 $1,140 in the Bahamas and $298 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 Bahamas 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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.