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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $734 per month in Chengdu vs $566 in Safi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,211 per month in Chengdu vs $877 in Safi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,688 per month in Chengdu vs $1,188 in Safi, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 30% more than Safi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chengdu and Safi are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 45% lower, Safi 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.17

$3.10 MAD 30.93

-7.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.31 ¥150

$20.21 MAD 202

10.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥32.81

$4.47 MAD 44.66

9.40%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.02

$1.54 MAD 15.39

94.16%

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

$0.51 ¥3.41

$0.56 MAD 5.61

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.90

$0.33 MAD 3.25

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.77

$1.52 MAD 15.14

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.59

$1.52 MAD 15.17

43.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.32

$0.87 MAD 8.69

111.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.40

$0.46 MAD 4.59

236.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.60

$1.57 MAD 15.67

-37.58%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.50

$1.72 MAD 17.14

-8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 ¥95.0

$6.48 MAD 64.7

118.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ¥24.84

$6.64 MAD 66.3

-44.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ¥74.6

$8.54 MAD 85.3

30.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.56

$1.15 MAD 11.49

62.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.11 MAD 11.10

18.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.36

$0.74 MAD 7.42

48.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$0.65 MAD 6.50

75.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.05

$0.58 MAD 5.83

29.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.58

$0.77 MAD 7.71

-11.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.36 MAD 3.63

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.67

$0.55 MAD 5.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.67

$3.81 MAD 38.00

0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.60 ¥30.81

$7.41 MAD 74.0

-37.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.47

$1.81 MAD 18.04

-54.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.80

$1.76 MAD 17.54

-17.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.94

$0.43 MAD 4.33

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.70 ¥166

$9.89 MAD 98.8

149.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.12

$0.65 MAD 6.53

109.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.52 MAD 5.18

-40.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ¥29.35

$6.12 MAD 61.1

-28.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$1.44 MAD 14.43

-9.72%

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

$19.5K ¥131.0K

$30.5K MAD 304.2K

-35.87%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$30.7K MAD 306.5K

-44.38%

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

$47.43 ¥318

$35.72 MAD 357

32.78%

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

$9.39 ¥63.0

$9.15 MAD 91.4

2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 ¥83.9

$33.37 MAD 333

-62.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.41 ¥184

$18.01 MAD 180

52.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 ¥75.7

$4.96 MAD 49.56

127.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.14 ¥41.18

$3.54 MAD 35.36

73.45%

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

$376 ¥2,523

$95.1 MAD 949

295.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥100.2K

$3,575 MAD 35.7K

317.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.02 ¥168

$38.39 MAD 383

-34.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.00 ¥188

$32.17 MAD 321

-12.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.3 ¥384

$89.4 MAD 893

-35.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 ¥353

$35.35 MAD 353

48.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,155

$274 MAD 2,733

71.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,722

$135 MAD 1,344

90.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ¥5,489

$449 MAD 4,483

82.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ¥3,592

$237 MAD 2,371

125.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 ¥24.9K

$884 MAD 8,823

319.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,928 ¥12.9K

$535 MAD 5,345

260.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,277 ¥8,558

$439 MAD 4,383

190.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

4.52

-25.22%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Safi: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Chengdu versus $274 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 191% 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 $22.00 in Chengdu versus $20.00 in Safi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $162 – 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: $734 in Chengdu, $566 in Safi – roughly 30% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Chengdu and $849 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 $22.00 in Chengdu and $20.00 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 $734 in Chengdu and $566 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 $734 in Chengdu and $566 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.