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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $677 per month in Chengdu vs $619 in Safi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Chengdu vs $948 in Safi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,472 per month in Chengdu vs $1,277 in Safi, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 9% 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

$2.82 ¥19.09

$3.95 MAD 36.81

-28.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.08 ¥163

$16.24 MAD 151

48.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥33.66

$4.70 MAD 43.82

5.74%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ¥18.71

$1.96 MAD 18.25

40.82%

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

$0.43 ¥2.92

$0.62 MAD 5.79

-30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.32 MAD 2.96

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$1.65 MAD 15.41

-30.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.97

$1.66 MAD 15.44

24.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.28

$0.87 MAD 8.07

108.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.39

$0.50 MAD 4.71

178.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.31

$1.53 MAD 14.27

-39.22%

Eggs

$1.94 ¥13.10

$1.87 MAD 17.47

3.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.76 ¥93.2

$7.39 MAD 68.9

86.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 ¥24.41

$6.81 MAD 63.5

-46.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 ¥76.6

$9.58 MAD 89.3

18.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ¥12.94

$1.27 MAD 11.85

50.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$1.20 MAD 11.17

1.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.18

$0.77 MAD 7.17

94.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.90

$0.71 MAD 6.65

43.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.81

$0.67 MAD 6.28

5.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.76

$0.70 MAD 6.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.09

$0.42 MAD 3.92

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.16

$0.64 MAD 5.95

-4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ¥23.02

$4.13 MAD 38.56

-17.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 ¥37.19

$7.63 MAD 71.2

-27.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$1.98 MAD 18.50

-52.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥12.53

$1.94 MAD 18.07

-4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.51 MAD 4.77

-15.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.94 ¥189

$10.85 MAD 101

157.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.38

$0.53 MAD 4.95

133.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$0.51 MAD 4.80

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ¥28.15

$6.62 MAD 61.8

-37.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.95

$1.59 MAD 14.81

-26.42%

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

$18.5K ¥125.0K

$36.8K MAD 343.1K

-49.81%

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

$16.7K ¥112.7K

$30.0K MAD 279.4K

-44.42%

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

$44.66 ¥302

$29.16 MAD 272

53.16%

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

$11.53 ¥78.1

$11.26 MAD 105

2.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥76.7

$40.37 MAD 376

-71.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.18 ¥164

$21.73 MAD 203

11.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.55 ¥78.2

$5.56 MAD 51.8

107.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ¥38.53

$3.94 MAD 36.73

44.42%

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

$330 ¥2,232

$160 MAD 1,491

106.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥83.5K

$3,729 MAD 34.8K

230.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ¥254

$42.18 MAD 393

-11.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 ¥260

$36.17 MAD 337

6.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 ¥452

$98.5 MAD 918

-32.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.0 ¥339

$38.95 MAD 363

28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥2,165

$245 MAD 2,288

30.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,237

$141 MAD 1,313

29.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ¥4,138

$454 MAD 4,234

34.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,224

$240 MAD 2,239

36.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,785 ¥25.6K

$920 MAD 8,575

311.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,925 ¥13.0K

$561 MAD 5,232

243.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,278 ¥8,647

$458 MAD 4,268

179.13%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Safi: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $320 in Chengdu versus $245 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 179% 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 $16.00 in Safi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $174 – 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: $677 in Chengdu, $619 in Safi – roughly 9% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,015 per month in Chengdu and $928 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 $16.00 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 $677 in Chengdu and $619 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 $677 in Chengdu and $619 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.