Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Natal Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Natal

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Chengdu vs $672 in Natal, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Chengdu vs $1,085 in Natal, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Chengdu vs $1,498 in Natal, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 2% more than Natal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chengdu and Natal are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Natal 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 ¥19.31

$4.98 R$25.66

-42.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ¥162

$27.69 R$143

-13.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.73

$6.26 R$32.23

-20.29%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥18.74

$1.85 R$9.52

49.73%

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

$0.46 ¥3.14

$0.87 R$4.47

-47.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.50 R$2.56

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.63

$1.46 R$7.51

-22.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.43

$2.10 R$10.83

1.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$1.15 R$5.90

56.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.39

$1.26 R$6.51

10.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.09

$1.00 R$5.17

-10.00%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.60

$1.83 R$9.45

1.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥92.1

$6.61 R$34.06

106.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥24.08

$3.62 R$18.64

-1.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥76.0

$6.82 R$35.13

64.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.61

$2.08 R$10.73

-10.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$0.86 R$4.40

37.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$0.85 R$4.39

76.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥7.01

$1.17 R$6.04

-11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.73

$0.93 R$4.77

-24.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$1.01 R$5.20

-30.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.50 R$2.58

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.56 R$2.87

8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.92

$1.65 R$8.48

96.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.79

$8.17 R$42.06

-33.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.78

$1.15 R$5.95

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.68

$1.64 R$8.46

14.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.83 R$4.28

-50.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥185

$30.23 R$156

-9.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$0.92 R$4.73

32.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.49 R$2.51

-46.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.64

$3.64 R$18.77

12.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.04 R$5.35

9.62%

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

$18.7K ¥126.6K

$16.1K R$83.1K

16.06%

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

$16.0K ¥108.5K

$21.9K R$112.9K

-26.85%

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

$45.05 ¥305

$43.89 R$226

2.64%

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

$11.69 ¥79.1

$15.26 R$78.6

-23.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$16.41 R$84.5

-30.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.49 ¥166

$20.42 R$105

19.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$29.16 R$150

-61.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.46

$6.66 R$34.29

-16.82%

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

$333 ¥2,250

$115 R$594

188.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.1K

$4,289 R$22.1K

182.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.92 ¥257

$43.20 R$223

-12.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 ¥261

$42.67 R$220

-9.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$68.7 R$354

-1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥343

$72.1 R$371

-29.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,150

$306 R$1,575

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,213

$168 R$867

6.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ¥4,130

$555 R$2,857

10.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,264

$339 R$1,746

-1.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 ¥25.8K

$1,432 R$7,375

166.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 ¥13.0K

$871 R$4,487

120.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ¥8,505

$404 R$2,079

211.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

-64.92%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Natal: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Chengdu versus $306 in Natal. 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 212% higher in Chengdu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu versus $28.00 in Natal. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Chengdu vs $158 in Natal – so Natal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Natal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $689 in Chengdu, $672 in Natal – roughly 2% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Chengdu and $1,009 in Natal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Natal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu and $28.00 in Natal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $689 in Chengdu and $672 in Natal. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $689 in Chengdu and $672 in Natal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Natal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $672 in Natal to $689 in Chengdu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Natal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.