Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changchun and Chengdu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $749 a month against $904 in Changchun, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
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Changchun Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
Learn more

Chengdu Living Index

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Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$904

/mo nomad

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$749

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Changchun and in Chengdu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Changchun and in Chengdu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $904 in Changchun versus $749 in Chengdu.

Changchun $904
Chengdu $749

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,324 in Changchun versus $1,210 in Chengdu.

Changchun $1,324
Chengdu $1,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,743 in Changchun versus $1,672 in Chengdu.

Changchun $1,743
Chengdu $1,672

Living in Changchun is roughly 21% more expensive than in Chengdu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changchun 33% lower, Chengdu 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 ¥20.22

$2.86 ¥19.11

5.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.15 ¥148

$22.74 ¥152

-2.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥34.68

$4.83 ¥32.28

7.45%

Cappuccino

$2.40 ¥16.02

$2.99 ¥19.99

-19.73%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$0.48 ¥3.19

-2.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.28 ¥1.88

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.12

$1.53 ¥10.21

-20.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥12.74

$2.23 ¥14.88

-14.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.70

$1.81 ¥12.10

4.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$1.54 ¥10.28

-20.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.65

$0.93 ¥6.21

54.84%

Eggs

$1.81 ¥12.12

$1.55 ¥10.37

16.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$34.55 ¥231

$14.37 ¥96.1

140.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 ¥38.15

$3.60 ¥24.05

58.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 ¥69.3

$11.14 ¥74.5

-7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.51

$1.82 ¥12.19

-5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.34 ¥8.94

8.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.05

$1.09 ¥7.30

65.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.66

$1.19 ¥7.98

58.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.95

$0.75 ¥4.99

18.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.63 ¥4.22

-7.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥9.80

$0.54 ¥3.58

172.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.28

$3.77 ¥25.22

0.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.06 ¥141

$4.40 ¥29.41

378.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.83 ¥5.52

10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 ¥7.37

$1.51 ¥10.08

-27.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.38 ¥2.56

15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.58 ¥164

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.26

$1.37 ¥9.18

-9.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.31 ¥2.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ¥20.18

$4.59 ¥30.71

-34.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.58

$1.31 ¥8.78

-2.29%

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

$19.3K ¥129.3K

$19.7K ¥131.5K

-1.65%

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

$17.8K ¥118.9K

$17.9K ¥119.3K

-0.38%

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

$76.7 ¥513

$48.01 ¥321

59.70%

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

$4.43 ¥29.63

$9.42 ¥63.0

-52.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$12.75 ¥85.2

15.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.44 ¥250

$27.36 ¥183

36.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.13 ¥27.59

$11.25 ¥75.2

-63.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ¥44.42

$5.87 ¥39.26

13.12%

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

$553 ¥3,701

$373 ¥2,494

48.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ¥146.1K

$14.7K ¥98.3K

48.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.7 ¥493

$25.03 ¥167

194.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.44 ¥297

$28.15 ¥188

57.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 ¥402

$56.0 ¥374

7.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ¥466

$51.3 ¥343

35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 ¥1,446

$465 ¥3,109

-53.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 ¥1,648

$256 ¥1,712

-3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 ¥3,848

$833 ¥5,570

-30.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 ¥2,057

$539 ¥3,606

-42.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,668 ¥11.2K

$3,747 ¥25.1K

-55.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 ¥6,728

$1,917 ¥12.8K

-47.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 ¥6,423

$1,254 ¥8,382

-23.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

3.38

29.29%

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

Last update for Changchun: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changchun

$313 * 34.6%

Chengdu

$194 25.9% 38.1% $119

Accommodation & Living

Changchun

$246 27.3%

Chengdu

$256 34.2% 3.9% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Changchun

$112 12.4%

Chengdu

$72 9.6% 35.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changchun

$96 10.6%

Chengdu

$70 9.4% 26.8% $26

Eating Out

Changchun

$82 9%

Chengdu

$88 11.8% 8.4% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Changchun

$51 5.6%

Chengdu

$39 5.2% 22.9% $12

Getting Around

Changchun

$4.5 * 0.5%

Chengdu

$29 3.9% 540% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $216 in Changchun and $465 in Chengdu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chengdu pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Changchun vs $23.00 in Chengdu. Groceries flip the comparison at $313 vs $194, with Chengdu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changchun

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

Same time as Changchun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,066,906

20,937,757

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Changchun Chengdu 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Changchun
Chengdu

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

Changchun vs Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chengdu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Chengdu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $216 in Changchun versus $465 in Chengdu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $553 in Changchun versus $373 in Chengdu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chengdu – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $22.00 in Changchun. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Chengdu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chengdu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Changchun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.