Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Xi'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $723 a month against $755 in Xi’an, rent and utilities included – about $380 less a year. The total is higher in Xi’an despite lower rent and utilities.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index

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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$723

/mo nomad

Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$755

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chengdu and in Xi'an

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 Xi'an actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $723 per month in Chengdu vs $755 in Xi’an, rent included.

Chengdu $723
Xi'an $755

A couple spends around $1,161 per month in Chengdu vs $1,173 in Xi’an, rent included.

Chengdu $1,161
Xi'an $1,173

A family of three spends $1,600 per month in Chengdu vs $1,592 in Xi’an, rent included.

Chengdu $1,600
Xi'an $1,592

Chengdu is about 4% cheaper than Xi’an, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chengdu and Xi’an are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 47% lower, Xi’an 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.87 ¥19.13

$2.92 ¥19.47

-1.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.50 ¥150

$18.34 ¥122

22.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 ¥32.12

$4.55 ¥30.32

5.93%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ¥19.04

$2.10 ¥13.96

36.19%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$0.42 ¥2.78

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.66

$0.27 ¥1.80

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 ¥10.27

$1.47 ¥9.76

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.12

$1.49 ¥9.90

52.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.27

$1.46 ¥9.72

26.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ¥10.48

$1.73 ¥11.53

-9.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.82

$0.87 ¥5.77

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.47

$1.47 ¥9.76

6.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.41 ¥96.0

$11.43 ¥76.1

26.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ¥23.56

$4.46 ¥29.74

-20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ¥73.9

$10.65 ¥70.9

4.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.15

$1.63 ¥10.83

11.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$1.16 ¥7.71

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.25

$1.14 ¥7.58

-4.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.65

$1.31 ¥8.75

-12.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.96

$0.64 ¥4.27

15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.76

$0.79 ¥5.28

-10.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.23

$0.70 ¥4.65

-8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.55 ¥3.65

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ¥25.40

$3.46 ¥23.07

10.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.43 ¥29.49

$11.13 ¥74.1

-60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$0.81 ¥5.38

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.83

$1.74 ¥11.61

-14.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.31 ¥2.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.92 ¥153

$24.59 ¥164

-6.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.18

$1.25 ¥8.35

10.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.29 ¥1.90

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 ¥30.30

$3.55 ¥23.65

28.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.37 ¥9.11

-5.84%

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

$19.5K ¥129.7K

$19.2K ¥127.9K

1.44%

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

$17.5K ¥116.6K

0.06%

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

$47.63 ¥317

$88.4 ¥589

-46.13%

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

$9.12 ¥60.8

$6.47 ¥43.13

40.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.83 ¥85.5

$10.74 ¥71.5

19.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.91 ¥179

$29.85 ¥199

-9.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 ¥74.1

$21.42 ¥143

-48.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 ¥39.02

$5.70 ¥38.00

2.81%

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

$1,162 ¥7,740

$908 ¥6,045

28.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K ¥226.5K

$22.3K ¥148.8K

52.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.39 ¥169

$39.32 ¥262

-35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.92 ¥186

$37.62 ¥251

-25.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.9 ¥385

$76.2 ¥508

-24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 ¥356

$109 ¥725

-50.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 ¥2,813

$290 ¥1,932

45.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,545

$188 ¥1,250

23.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ¥5,036

$715 ¥4,761

5.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ¥3,146

$361 ¥2,404

30.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,537 ¥23.6K

$2,285 ¥15.2K

54.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,850 ¥12.3K

$1,598 ¥10.6K

15.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,334 ¥8,883

$1,262 ¥8,403

5.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.35

0.90%

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

Last update for Chengdu: November 3, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chengdu

$232 32.1%

Xi'an

$188 24.9% 19.1% $44

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$194 26.9%

Xi'an

$199 26.3% 2.3% $4.5

Eating Out

Chengdu

$87 12%

Xi'an

$75 10% 13.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$74 10.3%

Xi'an

$118 15.6% 59.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$70 9.6%

Xi'an

$106 14% 51.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$39 5.4%

Xi'an

$41 5.5% 6.8% $2.6

Getting Around

Chengdu

$27 3.8%

Xi'an

$29 3.8% 5.2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $422 in Chengdu versus $290 in Xi’an. 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 6% higher in Chengdu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Chengdu versus $18 in Xi’an. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Chengdu vs $199 in Xi’an – so Chengdu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

Same time as Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

12,183,280

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chengdu Xi'an 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
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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 Xi'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $723 in Chengdu, $755 in Xi’an – Chengdu comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,084 per month in Chengdu and $1,132 in Xi’an. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xi’an, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $422 in Chengdu.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Chengdu and $18 in Xi’an. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Chengdu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $723 in Chengdu and $755 in Xi’an, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.