Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

For one person, living costs are similar in Chengdu and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: $726 and $708 a month, rent and utilities included.

Chengdu, China
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Chengdu
🇨🇳 China
$726
/mo nomad
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
🇨🇳 China
$708
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chengdu and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chengdu and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $726 per month in Chengdu vs $708 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

  • Chengdu $726
  • Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $708

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Chengdu vs $1,174 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

  • Chengdu $1,170
  • Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,174

A family of three spends $1,614 per month in Chengdu vs $1,639 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

  • Chengdu $1,614
  • Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu $1,639

Chengdu costs about 3% more than Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chengdu and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 47% lower, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 48% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chengdu
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.92 ¥19.47
$3.71 ¥24.71
-21.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.28 ¥148
$25.88 ¥173
-13.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.85 ¥32.34
$4.68 ¥31.22
3.63%
Cappuccino
$3.00 ¥19.98
$3.18 ¥21.20
-5.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ¥3.40
$0.44 ¥2.94
15.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ¥1.73
$0.33 ¥2.21
-21.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.51 ¥10.08
$0.88 ¥5.85
71.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 ¥15.23
$1.49 ¥9.91
53.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chengdu
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 ¥12.31
$1.82 ¥12.12
1.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.49 ¥9.90
$1.19 ¥7.91
25.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 ¥6.59
$0.87 ¥5.81
13.79%
Eggs
$1.61 ¥10.72
$1.99 ¥13.26
-19.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.31 ¥95.4
$19.03 ¥127
-24.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.64 ¥24.29
$3.78 ¥25.21
-3.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.02 ¥73.5
$6.11 ¥40.72
80.36%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ¥12.64
$2.28 ¥15.20
-16.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ¥9.25
$1.40 ¥9.32
-0.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.04 ¥6.92
$1.48 ¥9.89
-29.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.20 ¥7.99
$1.32 ¥8.82
-9.09%
Potato (1kg)
$0.74 ¥4.91
$0.92 ¥6.14
-19.57%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 ¥4.57
$0.94 ¥6.30
-26.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.64 ¥4.24
$0.67 ¥4.44
-4.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ¥3.84
$0.58 ¥3.86
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.69 ¥24.58
$3.68 ¥24.56
0.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.37 ¥29.14
$13.30 ¥88.7
-67.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ¥5.59
$0.82 ¥5.44
2.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 ¥9.84
$1.52 ¥10.16
-2.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Chengdu
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.93
$0.29 ¥1.92
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.23 ¥168
$16.68 ¥111
51.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.33 ¥8.85
$1.96 ¥13.07
-32.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 ¥2.07
$0.36 ¥2.37
-13.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 ¥29.13
$7.05 ¥46.97
-38.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 ¥8.50
$1.23 ¥8.21
3.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.6K ¥131.0K
$17.6K ¥117.6K
11.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.0K ¥120.3K
$18.1K ¥121.0K
-0.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chengdu
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$46.65 ¥311
$18.87 ¥126
147.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.40 ¥62.7
$10.02 ¥66.8
-6.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.87 ¥85.8
$11.05 ¥73.7
16.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chengdu
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.11 ¥181
$59.0 ¥393
-54.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.21 ¥74.7
$15.56 ¥104
-27.96%
Cinema Ticket
$6.17 ¥41.10
$7.46 ¥49.72
-17.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chengdu
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,161 ¥7,738
$299 ¥1,993
288.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.3K ¥101.7K
$17.7K ¥118.2K
-14.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chengdu
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.36 ¥169
$45.39 ¥303
-44.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.52 ¥183
$41.76 ¥278
-34.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$57.1 ¥381
$59.8 ¥398
-4.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.2 ¥354
$59.6 ¥397
-10.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chengdu
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$425 ¥2,834
$260 ¥1,730
63.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$231 ¥1,543
$172 ¥1,143
34.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$755 ¥5,035
$604 ¥4,023
25.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$478 ¥3,184
$369 ¥2,461
29.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,476 ¥23.2K
$2,998 ¥20.0K
15.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,845 ¥12.3K
$1,945 ¥13.0K
-5.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chengdu
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,278 ¥8,517
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.38
3.5
-3.43%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chengdu
$231
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$172 25.9% $60
Groceries & Markets
Chengdu
$195
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$216 11% $21
Eating Out
Chengdu
$89
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$92 3.6% $3.2
Clothing & Footwear
Chengdu
$73
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$93 26.6% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chengdu
$69
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$40 42% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Chengdu
$39
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$74 87.4% $34
Getting Around
Chengdu
$29
Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
$22 26.3% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Chengdu versus $260 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu versus $26 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $216 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Chengdu
🇨🇳 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu
🕒 Local time
18:07 6:07 PM
18:07 6:07 PM
Same time as Chengdu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,937,757
831,113
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chengdu Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Chengdu
  • Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Chengdu and in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $726 in Chengdu, $708 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Chengdu compared to Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,090 per month in Chengdu and $1,063 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Chengdu and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $260 there versus $425 in Chengdu.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu and $26 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Chengdu or Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $726 in Chengdu and $708 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. That’s a gap of about 3%.
How far does $1,000 go in Chengdu compared to Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $726 in Chengdu and $708 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Chengdu or Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu?
Families tend to lean toward Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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