Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $764 per month in Brazil vs $713 in China, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,221 per month in Brazil vs $1,132 in China, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,678 per month in Brazil vs $1,551 in China, rent included.

Brazil costs about 7% more than China on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Brazil and China are more affordable than the global median – Brazil 43% lower, China 47% lower.

China has a wider regional cost range ($535–$1,206) than Brazil ($568–$1,032), so location matters more when choosing where to live in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.48 R$27.72

$2.86 ¥19.36

91.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.29 R$143

$23.29 ¥158

21.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 R$31.17

$4.83 ¥32.66

27.54%

Cappuccino

$1.79 R$9.04

$3.04 ¥20.52

-41.12%

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

$1.08 R$5.45

$0.45 ¥3.03

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.57

$0.27 ¥1.81

159.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$9.00

$0.99 ¥6.71

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.88

$2.03 ¥13.74

34.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.02

$1.75 ¥11.86

-43.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 R$7.74

$1.67 ¥11.31

-8.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.18

$0.97 ¥6.56

25.77%

Eggs

$2.10 R$10.62

$1.54 ¥10.45

36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 R$44.12

$13.30 ¥89.9

-34.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.83 R$19.37

$3.21 ¥21.69

19.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 R$38.00

$10.79 ¥73.0

-30.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$1.81 ¥12.27

12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.76

$1.31 ¥8.84

2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.78

$1.50 ¥10.15

-24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.47

$1.14 ¥7.74

29.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.66

$0.73 ¥4.90

53.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.52

$0.87 ¥5.86

25.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.85

$0.57 ¥3.85

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.54 ¥3.63

25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.70

$3.53 ¥23.88

-40.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 R$38.36

$11.71 ¥79.2

-35.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R$6.24

$0.84 ¥5.67

46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$11.23

$1.67 ¥11.29

32.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.70

$0.41 ¥2.75

126.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 R$210

$20.78 ¥141

99.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R$5.53

$1.36 ¥9.21

-19.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.25

$0.33 ¥2.21

154.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$37.47

$6.86 ¥46.40

7.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.47

$1.12 ¥7.57

-3.57%

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

$21.8K R$110.4K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

13.64%

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

$27.2K R$137.9K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

60.96%

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

$69.2 R$350

$51.8 ¥350

33.47%

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

$13.63 R$69.0

$9.85 ¥66.6

38.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 R$95.1

$11.13 ¥75.3

68.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.85 R$116

$39.10 ¥264

-41.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.76 R$115

$14.89 ¥101

52.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.24 R$31.58

$6.25 ¥42.24

-0.16%

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

$285 R$1,443

$404 ¥2,732

-29.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,497 R$38.0K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-57.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.45 R$245

$46.11 ¥312

5.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 R$218

$32.27 ¥218

33.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 R$379

$72.7 ¥491

2.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$314

$72.9 ¥493

-14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 R$1,705

$445 ¥3,009

-24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 R$1,141

$255 ¥1,727

-11.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 R$3,317

$927 ¥6,266

-29.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 R$2,301

$532 ¥3,600

-14.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 R$9,356

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-62.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,200 R$6,077

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-51.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 R$2,595

$1,057 ¥7,148

-51.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

4.06

174.88%

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

Last update for Brazil: June 9, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $305 in Brazil vs $286 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $414 in Brasilia and $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $479 in Brazil vs $862 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in Brazil.

Dining out costs 29% more in Brazil.

Public transport is 117% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 80% higher in China, giving China 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

Brazil vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 9% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in China, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but China consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Brazil, contributing to the overall 9% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in China it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.