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: $2,157 in Belgium versus $718 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,203 in Belgium versus $1,146 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,248 in Belgium versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Belgium is roughly 200% more expensive than in China on average.

Belgium (57% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Belgium ($1,815–$2,607) and China ($466–$1,226) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.93 €19.62

$2.93 ¥19.65

682.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €78.0

$21.85 ¥147

317.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.84 €11.84

$5.04 ¥33.83

174.60%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.60

$3.02 ¥20.28

39.40%

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

$3.41 €2.92

$0.47 ¥3.18

625.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 €2.64

$0.28 ¥1.85

1003.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.01

$1.07 ¥7.17

447.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 €5.01

$2.27 ¥15.25

158.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.80 ¥12.10

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 €2.30

$1.70 ¥11.41

58.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 €2.08

$0.97 ¥6.48

150.52%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.59

$1.61 ¥10.81

160.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.28 €13.93

$13.00 ¥87.3

25.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.37 €10.58

$3.39 ¥22.77

264.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.95 €17.92

$11.32 ¥76.0

85.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.47

$1.78 ¥11.97

62.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.25 ¥8.37

103.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 €2.39

$1.47 ¥9.89

89.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.85

$1.29 ¥8.69

158.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.79 ¥5.28

203.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$0.86 ¥5.79

106.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.37

$0.64 ¥4.32

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.00

$0.59 ¥3.95

98.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.46 €11.52

$3.80 ¥25.50

254.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 €8.04

$11.90 ¥79.9

-21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.64

$0.85 ¥5.69

125.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.13

$1.70 ¥11.42

46.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 €2.84

$0.29 ¥1.93

1044.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 €48.61

$22.27 ¥150

155.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.95 €5.09

$1.47 ¥9.86

304.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 €2.39

$0.37 ¥2.50

654.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.65 €38.20

$7.02 ¥47.12

536.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.26 ¥8.47

53.17%

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

$37.2K €31.8K

$19.0K ¥127.5K

95.95%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$17.0K ¥114.3K

106.77%

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

$234 €200

$55.3 ¥371

323.18%

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

$23.22 €19.86

$8.77 ¥58.9

164.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €46.99

$10.78 ¥72.4

409.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.45 €32.04

$39.49 ¥265

-5.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 €17.90

$14.61 ¥98.1

43.19%

Cinema Ticket

$15.44 €13.21

$6.72 ¥45.15

129.76%

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

$1,004 €858

$447 ¥3,002

124.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K €24.0K

$19.7K ¥132.4K

42.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €90.9

$43.69 ¥293

143.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.99 €41.91

$34.93 ¥235

40.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.0

$77.0 ¥517

41.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €130

$77.2 ¥518

96.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 €891

$384 ¥2,579

171.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 €756

$231 ¥1,549

283.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 €1,324

$824 ¥5,534

87.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 €1,127

$472 ¥3,169

179.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,656 €3,982

$4,687 ¥31.5K

-0.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 €2,705

$2,343 ¥15.7K

34.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 €2,626

$1,082 ¥7,269

183.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.47

4.32%

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

Last update for Belgium: August 18, 2026

Last update for China: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $957 in Belgium, $290 in China. Capital cities: $1,406 in Brussels vs $953 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,939 in Belgium, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 230% higher in Belgium.

Dining out costs 348% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 206% more expensive in Belgium.

Salaries are 243% higher in Belgium, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Belgium.

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 $2,211 per month in Belgium and $846 in China, there's a 161% 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 simply cheaper in China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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; Belgium may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.