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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $692 per month in Chengdu vs $662 in Natal, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,095 per month in Chengdu vs $1,106 in Natal, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,497 per month in Chengdu vs $1,551 in Natal, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 5% more than Natal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chengdu and Natal are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 48% lower, Natal 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 ¥18.66

$5.08 R$25.24

-46.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.37 ¥160

$28.06 R$139

-16.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥34.23

$6.15 R$30.59

-18.70%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ¥18.76

$1.82 R$9.06

50.55%

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

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.83 R$4.14

-48.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.49 R$2.43

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ¥7.67

$1.46 R$7.26

-23.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥14.40

$2.14 R$10.64

-1.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥12.05

$1.10 R$5.44

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.89

$1.19 R$5.94

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.18

$1.05 R$5.20

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.87 ¥12.79

$1.92 R$9.54

-2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 ¥92.1

$6.71 R$33.36

100.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.79

$3.55 R$17.64

-1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 ¥76.9

$6.96 R$34.61

61.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.70

$2.06 R$10.25

-9.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 ¥8.11

$0.87 R$4.34

36.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.99

$0.86 R$4.29

69.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.25

$1.11 R$5.54

-4.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ¥4.52

$0.93 R$4.62

-29.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.23

$0.99 R$4.94

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥4.05

$0.54 R$2.66

9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.94

$0.53 R$2.62

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ¥22.77

$1.60 R$7.94

108.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 ¥38.50

$8.19 R$40.69

-31.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ¥6.55

$1.14 R$5.64

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ¥12.26

$1.59 R$7.90

12.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ¥2.76

$0.80 R$3.96

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.00 ¥192

$31.15 R$155

-10.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 ¥8.70

$0.92 R$4.58

38.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.77

$0.52 R$2.57

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 ¥29.23

$3.61 R$17.96

18.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.66

$1.03 R$5.14

8.74%

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

$19.0K ¥130.1K

$16.3K R$80.9K

16.84%

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

$16.4K ¥112.0K

$22.3K R$110.8K

-26.50%

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

$44.60 ¥305

$43.68 R$217

2.11%

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

$11.67 ¥79.9

$15.38 R$76.5

-24.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.70 ¥80.1

$16.51 R$82.1

-29.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.21 ¥166

$20.97 R$104

15.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.45 ¥78.3

$28.95 R$144

-60.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 ¥38.40

$6.80 R$33.81

-17.50%

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

$336 ¥2,301

$119 R$591

182.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.5K

$4,312 R$21.4K

179.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.86 ¥259

$43.04 R$214

-12.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥261

$42.04 R$209

-9.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 ¥460

$67.4 R$335

-0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥347

$72.2 R$359

-29.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 ¥2,141

$301 R$1,497

3.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,256

$172 R$856

6.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 ¥4,148

$553 R$2,748

9.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥2,213

$344 R$1,709

-5.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,040 ¥27.6K

$1,449 R$7,200

178.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,982 ¥13.6K

$876 R$4,352

126.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,187 ¥8,119

$403 R$2,001

194.81%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Natal: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $313 in Chengdu versus $301 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 195% 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 $23 in Chengdu versus $28 in Natal. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Chengdu vs $157 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: $692 in Chengdu, $662 in Natal – roughly 5% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,038 per month in Chengdu and $993 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 $23.00 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 $692 in Chengdu and $662 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 $692 in Chengdu and $662 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 $662 in Natal to $692 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.