Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and La Marsa

For one person, living costs are similar in Chengdu and in La Marsa: $749 and $775 a month, rent and utilities included.

Chengdu
🇨🇳 China
$749
/mo nomad
La Marsa
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chengdu and in La Marsa

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

A single person spends $749 per month in Chengdu vs $775 in La Marsa, rent included.

  • Chengdu $749
  • La Marsa $775

A couple spends around $1,210 per month in Chengdu vs $1,289 in La Marsa, rent included.

  • Chengdu $1,210
  • La Marsa $1,289

A family of three spends $1,672 per month in Chengdu vs $1,804 in La Marsa, rent included.

  • Chengdu $1,672
  • La Marsa $1,804

Chengdu is about 3% cheaper than La Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chengdu and La Marsa are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 45% lower, La Marsa 43% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chengdu
La Marsa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.86 ¥19.11
$3.25 TND 9.74
-12.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.74 ¥152
$19.84 TND 59.4
14.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.83 ¥32.28
$5.47 TND 16.39
-11.70%
Cappuccino
$2.99 ¥19.99
$1.31 TND 3.91
128.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ¥3.19
$0.56 TND 1.68
-14.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 ¥1.88
$0.26 TND 0.77
7.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.53 ¥10.21
$1.48 TND 4.43
3.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 ¥14.88
$1.95 TND 5.85
14.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chengdu
La Marsa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 ¥12.10
$0.50 TND 1.51
262.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 ¥10.28
$0.32 TND 0.96
381.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.93 ¥6.21
$2.29 TND 6.87
-59.39%
Eggs
$1.55 ¥10.37
$1.81 TND 5.42
-14.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.37 ¥96.1
$9.61 TND 28.78
49.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.60 ¥24.05
$6.61 TND 19.81
-45.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ¥74.5
$12.99 TND 38.91
-14.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 ¥12.19
$1.99 TND 5.97
-8.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 ¥8.94
$3.69 TND 11.06
-63.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.09 ¥7.30
$1.45 TND 4.34
-24.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.19 ¥7.98
$0.63 TND 1.89
88.89%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 ¥4.99
$0.59 TND 1.77
27.12%
Onion (1kg)
$0.68 ¥4.52
$0.68 TND 2.03
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ¥4.22
$0.44 TND 1.31
43.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 ¥3.58
$0.28 TND 0.84
92.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.77 ¥25.22
$3.61 TND 10.83
4.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.40 ¥29.41
$6.55 TND 19.63
-32.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥5.52
$1.32 TND 3.96
-37.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 ¥10.08
$1.62 TND 4.85
-6.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Chengdu
La Marsa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.38 ¥2.56
$0.35 TND 1.06
8.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.58 ¥164
$7.25 TND 21.70
239.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.37 ¥9.18
$0.29 TND 0.87
372.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 ¥2.08
$0.44 TND 1.30
-29.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.59 ¥30.71
$4.05 TND 12.14
13.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ¥8.78
$0.86 TND 2.59
52.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ¥131.5K
$39.2K TND 117.5K
-49.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.9K ¥119.3K
$35.9K TND 107.5K
-50.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chengdu
La Marsa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$48.01 ¥321
$34.06 TND 102
40.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.42 ¥63.0
$12.67 TND 37.95
-25.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.75 ¥85.2
$18.66 TND 55.9
-31.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chengdu
La Marsa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.36 ¥183
$42.87 TND 128
-36.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.25 ¥75.2
$7.09 TND 21.22
58.67%
Cinema Ticket
$5.87 ¥39.26
$5.37 TND 16.09
9.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chengdu
La Marsa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$373 ¥2,494
$58.7 TND 176
535.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.7K ¥98.3K
$2,595 TND 7,773
466.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chengdu
La Marsa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.03 ¥167
$62.9 TND 188
-60.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.15 ¥188
$69.6 TND 208
-59.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.0 ¥374
$89.5 TND 268
-37.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.3 ¥343
$90.0 TND 269
-42.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chengdu
La Marsa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$465 ¥3,109
$291 TND 871
59.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$256 ¥1,712
$234 TND 700
9.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$833 ¥5,570
$704 TND 2,109
18.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$539 ¥3,606
$569 TND 1,704
-5.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,747 ¥25.1K
$1,787 TND 5,353
109.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ¥12.8K
$1,026 TND 3,073
86.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chengdu
La Marsa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,254 ¥8,382
$341 TND 1,021
267.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.38
14
-75.86%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 17, 2026

Last update for La Marsa: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chengdu
$256
La Marsa
$234 8.7% $22
Groceries & Markets
Chengdu
$194
La Marsa
$198 2% $3.9
Eating Out
Chengdu
$88
La Marsa
$73 17.7% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Chengdu
$72
La Marsa
$140 94.4% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chengdu
$70
La Marsa
$65 6.8% $4.8
Sport & Entertainment
Chengdu
$39
La Marsa
$54 37.1% $15
Getting Around
Chengdu
$29
La Marsa
$11 61.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $465 in Chengdu versus $291 in La Marsa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 268% higher in Chengdu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Chengdu versus $20.00 in La Marsa. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Chengdu vs $198 in La Marsa – so Chengdu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Chengdu
🇹🇳 La Marsa
🕒 Local time
19:37 7:37 PM
12:37 12:37 PM
7 h behind Chengdu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,937,757
92,987
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chengdu La Marsa 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chengdu
  • La Marsa

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
Chengdu vs La Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Chengdu and in La Marsa compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $749 in Chengdu, $775 in La Marsa – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Chengdu compared to La Marsa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,123 per month in Chengdu and $1,162 in La Marsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Chengdu and La Marsa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Chengdu and $20.00 in La Marsa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Chengdu or La Marsa?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $749 in Chengdu and $775 in La Marsa. That's a gap of about 3%.
How far does $1,200 go in Chengdu compared to La Marsa?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $749 in Chengdu and $775 in La Marsa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Chengdu and La Marsa?
It depends on your priorities. La Marsa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $749 in Chengdu to $775 in La Marsa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Chengdu or La Marsa safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Chengdu and La Marsa?
If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Marsa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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