Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Xi'an Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Xi'an

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $693 per month in Chengdu vs $687 in Xi'an, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in Chengdu vs $1,101 in Xi'an, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,511 per month in Chengdu vs $1,515 in Xi'an, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 1% more than Xi'an, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chengdu and Xi'an are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 48% lower, Xi'an 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.34

$2.80 ¥18.97

-3.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.62 ¥160

$18.20 ¥123

29.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.85

$5.49 ¥37.12

-8.74%

Cappuccino

$2.85 ¥19.31

$3.32 ¥22.43

-14.16%

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

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.40 ¥2.70

7.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.04

$0.26 ¥1.75

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.10 ¥7.43

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.92

$1.70 ¥11.48

21.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.93

$1.58 ¥10.65

11.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.78

$1.56 ¥10.53

-7.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$0.81 ¥5.50

6.17%

Eggs

$1.87 ¥12.61

$1.65 ¥11.19

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 ¥94.1

$6.87 ¥46.42

102.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ¥24.71

$1.97 ¥13.30

85.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$9.09 ¥61.5

25.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.41

$1.60 ¥10.82

14.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.20

$1.13 ¥7.61

7.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.25

$1.33 ¥8.96

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.18

$0.76 ¥5.16

39.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.74

$0.65 ¥4.41

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.05

$0.55 ¥3.74

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.79

$0.51 ¥3.42

9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.56 ¥3.81

8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ¥22.73

$2.72 ¥18.41

23.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 ¥36.65

$7.29 ¥49.29

-25.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥6.70

$0.74 ¥4.99

33.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.65

$1.70 ¥11.52

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.47 ¥3.21

-12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.48 ¥186

$33.61 ¥227

-18.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.24

$1.33 ¥9.00

-8.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.30 ¥2.00

-13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ¥28.98

$4.21 ¥28.48

1.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$1.19 ¥8.07

-5.04%

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

$18.8K ¥127.3K

$21.1K ¥142.8K

-10.87%

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

$16.4K ¥110.8K

$16.4K ¥110.7K

0.06%

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

$43.99 ¥297

$44.91 ¥304

-2.05%

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

$11.52 ¥77.9

$5.95 ¥40.22

93.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.69 ¥79.1

$11.73 ¥79.3

-0.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.22 ¥164

$42.44 ¥287

-42.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.33 ¥76.6

$16.97 ¥115

-33.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 ¥38.75

$4.83 ¥32.63

18.63%

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

$338 ¥2,284

$331 ¥2,241

1.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ¥82.7K

$18.1K ¥122.7K

-32.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.79 ¥256

$54.1 ¥366

-30.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.95 ¥257

$37.75 ¥255

0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$70.0 ¥473

-3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.73 ¥336

$71.3 ¥482

-30.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 ¥2,134

$256 ¥1,732

23.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,231

$192 ¥1,299

-5.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ¥4,160

$500 ¥3,384

22.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ¥2,230

$374 ¥2,529

-11.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,780 ¥25.6K

$2,369 ¥16.0K

59.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 ¥12.9K

$1,580 ¥10.7K

20.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 ¥8,248

$1,077 ¥7,283

13.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

4.32

-2.55%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 9, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $316 in Chengdu versus $256 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 13% 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 $18.00 in Xi'an. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $156 – making Xi'an 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 Xi'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $693 in Chengdu, $687 in Xi'an – roughly 1% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,040 per month in Chengdu and $1,030 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. 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 $18.00 in Xi'an. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $693 in Chengdu and $687 in Xi'an. 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 $693 in Chengdu and $687 in Xi'an, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Xi'an – 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 Xi'an. 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.