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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Chengdu vs $664 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Chengdu vs $1,074 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Chengdu vs $1,484 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 4% more than Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Chengdu and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 ¥19.30

$2.84 ¥19.21

0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ¥162

$22.45 ¥152

6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.72

$4.81 ¥32.56

3.74%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥18.73

$3.00 ¥20.29

-7.67%

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

$0.46 ¥3.14

$0.41 ¥2.80

12.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.24 ¥1.61

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$0.80 ¥5.41

41.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.43

$1.43 ¥9.68

48.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$2.30 ¥15.54

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.38

$1.12 ¥7.58

24.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.09

$0.82 ¥5.52

9.76%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.59

$1.48 ¥10.02

25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥92.1

$8.88 ¥60.0

53.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥24.07

$2.71 ¥18.34

31.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥76.0

$5.72 ¥38.66

96.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.61

$2.19 ¥14.84

-15.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$1.43 ¥9.65

-17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$1.65 ¥11.13

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥7.01

$1.16 ¥7.84

-10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.73

$0.94 ¥6.36

-25.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$0.87 ¥5.90

-19.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.86 ¥5.81

-34.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.57 ¥3.86

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.91

$3.37 ¥22.78

-3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.77

$13.25 ¥89.6

-58.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.78

$0.80 ¥5.43

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.67

$1.41 ¥9.56

32.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.27 ¥1.80

51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥185

$16.77 ¥113

62.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$1.51 ¥10.19

-19.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.36 ¥2.43

-27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.62

$8.32 ¥56.3

-50.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.14 ¥7.72

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

$18.7K ¥126.6K

$17.0K ¥115.1K

9.92%

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

$16.0K ¥108.4K

$14.6K ¥99.0K

9.51%

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

$45.05 ¥305

$17.71 ¥120

154.38%

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

$11.69 ¥79.1

$10.95 ¥74.1

6.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$11.04 ¥74.6

3.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.49 ¥166

$56.0 ¥379

-56.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$13.92 ¥94.1

-19.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.45

$5.45 ¥36.83

1.65%

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

$333 ¥2,249

$281 ¥1,898

18.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.1K

$16.6K ¥112.3K

-26.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.92 ¥256

$41.77 ¥282

-9.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 ¥261

$32.72 ¥221

17.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$56.4 ¥381

19.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥343

$55.3 ¥374

-8.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,149

$276 ¥1,866

15.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,213

$191 ¥1,289

-5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ¥4,128

$593 ¥4,008

2.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,263

$354 ¥2,397

-5.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 ¥25.8K

$2,978 ¥20.1K

27.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 ¥13.0K

$1,766 ¥11.9K

8.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ¥8,501

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

3.87

8.79%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Chengdu versus $276 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 $24.00 in Chengdu versus $22.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $181 – making Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $689 in Chengdu, $664 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu – roughly 4% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Chengdu and $996 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 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 $22.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. 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 $664 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $689 in Chengdu and $664 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. 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.