Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Taiyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Taiyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Chengdu vs $629 in Taiyuan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Chengdu vs $1,018 in Taiyuan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Chengdu vs $1,406 in Taiyuan, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 9% more than Taiyuan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Chengdu and Taiyuan are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Taiyuan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 ¥19.30

$2.15 ¥14.52

32.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ¥162

$21.14 ¥143

13.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.72

$4.30 ¥29.08

16.05%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥18.73

$2.38 ¥16.12

16.39%

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

$0.46 ¥3.14

$0.54 ¥3.65

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.32 ¥2.19

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$1.27 ¥8.61

-11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.43

$2.15 ¥14.53

-0.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$1.37 ¥9.25

31.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.38

$2.85 ¥19.24

-51.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.09

$0.70 ¥4.76

28.57%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.59

$0.93 ¥6.32

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥92.1

$14.09 ¥95.3

-3.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥24.07

$2.84 ¥19.23

25.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥76.0

$10.94 ¥74.0

2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.61

$2.14 ¥14.49

-13.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$1.32 ¥8.89

-10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$0.83 ¥5.61

80.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥7.01

$1.09 ¥7.36

-4.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.73

$0.49 ¥3.32

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$0.40 ¥2.71

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.44 ¥2.96

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.41 ¥2.76

48.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.91

$2.11 ¥14.25

53.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.77

$7.29 ¥49.28

-25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.78

$0.72 ¥4.85

38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.67

$1.36 ¥9.20

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.29 ¥1.97

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥185

$12.36 ¥83.6

120.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$1.08 ¥7.33

12.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.21 ¥1.41

23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.62

$3.44 ¥23.29

18.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.10 ¥7.42

3.64%

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

$18.7K ¥126.6K

$23.0K ¥155.8K

-18.76%

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

$16.0K ¥108.4K

$20.4K ¥138.0K

-21.43%

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

$45.05 ¥305

$69.0 ¥466

-34.68%

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

$11.69 ¥79.1

$9.73 ¥65.8

20.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$12.08 ¥81.7

-5.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.49 ¥166

$41.84 ¥283

-41.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$8.45 ¥57.1

32.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.45

$5.59 ¥37.78

-0.89%

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

$333 ¥2,249

$417 ¥2,819

-20.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.1K

$4,244 ¥28.7K

185.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.92 ¥256

$23.85 ¥161

58.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 ¥261

$48.81 ¥330

-20.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$68.5 ¥463

-1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥343

$65.8 ¥445

-22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,149

$208 ¥1,408

52.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,213

$106 ¥714

69.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ¥4,128

$502 ¥3,395

21.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,263

$247 ¥1,670

35.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 ¥25.8K

$2,663 ¥18.0K

43.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 ¥13.0K

$1,226 ¥8,288

56.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ¥8,501

$925 ¥6,252

35.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

3.83

9.92%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Taiyuan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Chengdu versus $208 in Taiyuan. 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 36% 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 $21.00 in Taiyuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $195 – making Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $689 in Chengdu, $629 in Taiyuan – roughly 9% 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 $944 in Taiyuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taiyuan, 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 $21.00 in Taiyuan. 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 $629 in Taiyuan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $689 in Chengdu and $629 in Taiyuan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Taiyuan – 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 Taiyuan. 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.