Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $865 in Brazil, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
Learn more

Brazil Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $865 per month in Brazil vs $791 in China, rent included.

Brazil $865
China $791

A couple spends around $1,373 per month in Brazil vs $1,251 in China, rent included.

Brazil $1,373
China $1,251

A family of three spends $1,880 per month in Brazil vs $1,711 in China, rent included.

Brazil $1,880
China $1,711

Cost ranges are similar: Brazil spans $569–$1,349, China $465–$1,222. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Brazil is about 9% higher than in China on average.

Both Brazil and China are more affordable than the global median – Brazil 36% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 R$35.08

$2.98 ¥19.84

119.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.71 R$164

$22.09 ¥147

39.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 R$39.89

$5.20 ¥34.66

43.27%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R$10.22

$2.97 ¥19.77

-35.69%

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

$1.15 R$6.18

$0.48 ¥3.19

139.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.04

$0.30 ¥2.01

153.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$9.90

$1.08 ¥7.19

71.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 R$15.28

$2.28 ¥15.18

25.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.52

$1.80 ¥11.98

-42.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$8.38

$1.68 ¥11.17

-6.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.61

$0.92 ¥6.14

34.78%

Eggs

$2.10 R$11.26

$1.61 ¥10.75

30.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R$47.45

$13.38 ¥89.2

-33.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 R$21.37

$3.35 ¥22.31

19.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 R$41.51

$11.35 ¥75.7

-31.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$11.53

$1.82 ¥12.14

18.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.80

$1.31 ¥8.71

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.18

$1.49 ¥9.91

-22.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$1.27 ¥8.49

20.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.21

$0.71 ¥4.74

63.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.46

$0.93 ¥6.22

9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.97

$0.62 ¥4.12

19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.84

$0.56 ¥3.75

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 R$12.06

$3.78 ¥25.19

-40.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 R$40.94

$12.13 ¥80.9

-36.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.97

$0.83 ¥5.55

56.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.58

$1.68 ¥11.23

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.03

$0.29 ¥1.92

224.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.00 R$235

$17.83 ¥119

146.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.58

$1.49 ¥9.91

-17.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R$5.11

$0.37 ¥2.50

159.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 R$39.70

$7.10 ¥47.31

4.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.49

$1.26 ¥8.39

-3.97%

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

$22.1K R$118.5K

$19.4K ¥129.6K

13.89%

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

$31.6K R$168.9K

$17.5K ¥116.9K

79.99%

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

$77.2 R$413

$54.6 ¥364

41.46%

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

$12.44 R$66.6

$8.73 ¥58.2

42.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 R$106

$11.07 ¥73.8

78.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 R$130

$40.77 ¥272

-40.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.46 R$136

$14.48 ¥96.5

75.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 R$37.37

$6.78 ¥45.19

2.95%

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

$316 R$1,690

$517 ¥3,443

-38.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 R$44.4K

$19.8K ¥132.0K

-58.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 R$264

$46.53 ¥310

6.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 R$245

$35.66 ¥238

28.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 R$446

$77.0 ¥513

8.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 R$351

$80.3 ¥535

-18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 R$1,996

$386 ¥2,572

-3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,341

$235 ¥1,563

6.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R$3,847

$822 ¥5,478

-12.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 R$2,624

$453 ¥3,020

8.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,795 R$9,605

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-61.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 R$6,791

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-46.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 R$2,657

$1,093 ¥7,286

-54.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

3.46

222.83%

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

Last update for Brazil: 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

Brazil

$251 29%

China

$235 29.6% 6.4% $16

Groceries & Markets

Brazil

$183 21.2%

China

$210 26.5% 14.7% $27

Eating Out

Brazil

$120 13.9%

China

$88 11.1% 26.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Brazil

$110 12.7%

China

$108 13.6% 1.9% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazil

$109 12.6%

China

$74 9.4% 32% $35

Getting Around

Brazil

$54 6.2%

China

$22 2.8% 58.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Brazil

$38 4.4%

China

$54 6.9% 41.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $335 in Brazil vs $298 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $517 in Brasilia and $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $468 in Brazil vs $873 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 12% higher in Brazil.

Dining out costs 32% more in Brazil.

Public transport is 139% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 87% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

18:20 6:20 PM

11 h ahead of Brazil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

203,062,512

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brazil China 16,930 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazil
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

Brazil vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 9% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Brazil: a central one-bedroom averages $335 versus $298 in China.

China is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.