Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgium and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgium and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Belgium versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,061 in Belgium versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,062 in Belgium versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Belgium is roughly 189% more expensive than China on average.

Belgium (53% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Belgium ($1,722–$2,557) and China ($535–$1,206) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.80 €19.64

$2.86 ¥19.36

697.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €78.6

$23.29 ¥158

291.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.00 €10.34

$4.83 ¥32.66

148.45%

Cappuccino

$4.18 €3.60

$3.04 ¥20.52

37.50%

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

$3.19 €2.75

$0.45 ¥3.03

608.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$0.27 ¥1.81

1007.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 €4.67

$0.99 ¥6.71

447.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 €4.03

$2.03 ¥13.74

130.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.75 ¥11.86

-25.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.67 ¥11.31

56.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.97 ¥6.56

141.24%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.56

$1.54 ¥10.45

168.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.12 €13.03

$13.30 ¥89.9

13.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 €10.33

$3.21 ¥21.69

273.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 €16.01

$10.79 ¥73.0

72.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$1.81 ¥12.27

60.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.31 ¥8.84

80.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$1.50 ¥10.15

73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 €2.65

$1.14 ¥7.74

169.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$0.73 ¥4.90

209.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$0.87 ¥5.86

109.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$0.57 ¥3.85

171.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.54 ¥3.63

94.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.08 €10.40

$3.53 ¥23.88

242.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.38 €8.08

$11.71 ¥79.2

-19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.84 ¥5.67

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.67 ¥11.29

33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 €2.48

$0.41 ¥2.75

600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 €49.70

$20.78 ¥141

177.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 €6.05

$1.36 ¥9.21

416.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.15

$0.33 ¥2.21

657.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.27 €38.14

$6.86 ¥46.40

545.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.12 ¥7.57

75.00%

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

$33.2K €28.6K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

72.96%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

93.49%

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

$221 €190

$51.8 ¥350

326.02%

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

$23.10 €19.90

$9.85 ¥66.6

134.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 €50.1

$11.13 ¥75.3

422.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 €33.12

$39.10 ¥264

-1.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.39 €19.29

$14.89 ¥101

50.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 €12.91

$6.25 ¥42.24

139.68%

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

$651 €561

$404 ¥2,732

61.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K €13.5K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-11.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €92.5

$46.11 ¥312

132.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.11 €39.73

$32.27 ¥218

42.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$72.7 ¥491

52.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €126

$72.9 ¥493

100.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 €841

$445 ¥3,009

119.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 €746

$255 ¥1,727

238.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,314

$927 ¥6,266

64.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 €1,098

$532 ¥3,600

139.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,355 €3,752

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-11.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,140 €2,705

$2,492 ¥16.9K

26.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 €2,630

$1,057 ¥7,148

188.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

4.06

-10.34%

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

Last update for Belgium: June 6, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $911 in Belgium, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,283 in Brussels vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,881 in Belgium, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 219% higher in Belgium.

Dining out costs 343% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Belgium.

Salaries are 234% higher in Belgium, giving Belgium stronger purchasing power.

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

Belgium vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,140 per month in Belgium and $871 in China, there's a 146% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Belgium beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Belgium, it works in regional areas but 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; Belgium may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.