Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Safi Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Safi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Chengdu vs $611 in Safi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Chengdu vs $958 in Safi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Chengdu vs $1,305 in Safi, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 13% more than Safi, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Chengdu and Safi are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Safi 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 ¥19.30

$3.76 MAD 34.55

-24.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ¥162

$16.53 MAD 152

45.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.72

$4.64 MAD 42.64

7.54%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥18.73

$1.96 MAD 17.99

41.33%

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

$0.46 ¥3.14

$0.61 MAD 5.62

-24.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.31 MAD 2.88

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$1.67 MAD 15.35

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.43

$1.62 MAD 14.84

31.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$0.83 MAD 7.63

116.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.38

$0.47 MAD 4.29

195.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.09

$1.49 MAD 13.65

-39.60%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.59

$1.92 MAD 17.61

-3.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥92.1

$7.10 MAD 65.2

91.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥24.07

$6.91 MAD 63.6

-48.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥76.0

$9.50 MAD 87.3

18.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.61

$1.21 MAD 11.13

53.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$1.24 MAD 11.41

-4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$0.83 MAD 7.64

80.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥7.01

$0.71 MAD 6.52

46.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.73

$0.64 MAD 5.92

9.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$0.66 MAD 6.08

6.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.43 MAD 3.93

30.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.60 MAD 5.47

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.91

$4.09 MAD 37.56

-20.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.77

$7.98 MAD 73.3

-31.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.78

$2.03 MAD 18.67

-50.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.67

$1.91 MAD 17.55

-2.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.47 MAD 4.32

-12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥185

$10.79 MAD 99.1

153.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$0.58 MAD 5.29

110.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.48 MAD 4.43

-45.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.62

$6.39 MAD 58.7

-35.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.58 MAD 14.50

-27.85%

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

$18.7K ¥126.6K

$37.9K MAD 348.0K

-50.57%

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

$16.0K ¥108.4K

$29.6K MAD 271.8K

-45.77%

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

$45.05 ¥305

$29.75 MAD 273

51.43%

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

$11.69 ¥79.1

$10.93 MAD 100

6.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$40.66 MAD 374

-72.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.49 ¥166

$21.84 MAD 201

12.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$5.39 MAD 49.50

107.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.45

$3.87 MAD 35.54

43.15%

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

$333 ¥2,249

$160 MAD 1,467

108.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.1K

$3,763 MAD 34.6K

222.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.92 ¥256

$41.95 MAD 386

-9.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 ¥261

$35.23 MAD 324

9.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$97.1 MAD 892

-30.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥343

$38.73 MAD 356

30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,149

$241 MAD 2,214

31.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,213

$138 MAD 1,267

30.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ¥4,128

$453 MAD 4,163

34.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,263

$237 MAD 2,176

41.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 ¥25.8K

$946 MAD 8,695

302.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 ¥13.0K

$592 MAD 5,440

224.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ¥8,501

$463 MAD 4,251

171.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

4.81

-12.47%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Safi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Chengdu versus $241 in Safi. 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 172% 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 $17.00 in Safi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $173 – making Safi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Safi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $689 in Chengdu, $611 in Safi – roughly 13% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Chengdu and $917 in Safi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Safi, 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 $17.00 in Safi. 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 $611 in Safi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $689 in Chengdu and $611 in Safi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Safi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Safi. 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.