Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and the Bahamas

Name: Bahamas
Address: BS

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $3,377 in the Bahamas, rent and utilities included – about $31,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
161

Cost of Living Index in the Bahamas
Learn more

Bahamas Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$3,377

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in the Bahamas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $3,377 in the Bahamas.

China $791
Bahamas $3,377

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $5,923 in the Bahamas.

China $1,251
Bahamas $5,923

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $8,469 in the Bahamas.

China $1,711
Bahamas $8,469

Internal cost variation is higher in the Bahamas: monthly costs span $27 to $4,294, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in the Bahamas.

Living in China costs about 77% less than in the Bahamas on average.

China (42% below) and the Bahamas (148% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

$49.01 BSD 49.01

-93.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$162 BSD 162

-86.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$11.84 BSD 11.84

-56.08%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

$5.46 BSD 5.46

-45.60%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$3.16 BSD 3.16

-84.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$1.98 BSD 1.98

-84.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$4.89 BSD 4.89

-77.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

$8.14 BSD 8.14

-71.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$4.09 BSD 4.09

-55.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$5.38 BSD 5.38

-68.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$6.18 BSD 6.18

-85.11%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$8.58 BSD 8.58

-81.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$12.69 BSD 12.69

5.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$12.59 BSD 12.59

-73.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$17.12 BSD 17.12

-33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$7.20 BSD 7.20

-74.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$3.83 BSD 3.83

-65.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$6.62 BSD 6.62

-77.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$9.96 BSD 9.96

-87.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$3.13 BSD 3.13

-77.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.66 BSD 3.66

-74.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$4.42 BSD 4.42

-85.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$2.77 BSD 2.77

-79.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$14.92 BSD 14.92

-74.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.8

$28.55 BSD 28.55

-57.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$4.62 BSD 4.62

-82.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$4.11 BSD 4.11

-59.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$2.13 BSD 2.13

-86.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$152 BSD 152

-88.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$7.79 BSD 7.79

-80.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$2.97 BSD 2.97

-87.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.24

$76.0 BSD 76.0

-90.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$1.52 BSD 1.52

-17.11%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$38.2K BSD 38.2K

-49.08%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$41.5K BSD 41.5K

-57.72%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$315 BSD 315

-82.66%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$63.1 BSD 63.1

-86.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.7

$101 BSD 101

-89.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$113 BSD 113

-63.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$46.06 BSD 46.06

-68.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$18.95 BSD 18.95

-64.22%

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

$517 ¥3,438

$942 BSD 942

-45.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$15.4K BSD 15.4K

28.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$54.0 BSD 54.0

-13.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$84.2 BSD 84.2

-57.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$113 BSD 113

-31.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$108 BSD 108

-25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$1,089 BSD 1,089

-64.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$1,251 BSD 1,251

-81.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$3,554 BSD 3,554

-76.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$3,509 BSD 3,509

-87.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$6,035 BSD 6,035

-22.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$3,429 BSD 3,429

-30.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,275

$2,474 BSD 2,474

-55.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

11.82

-70.73%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for the Bahamas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Bahamas

$1.3K 37% 433% $1K

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Bahamas

$597 17.7% 184% $387

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Bahamas

$162 4.8% 50.1% $54

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Bahamas

$554 16.4% 529% $466

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Bahamas

$479 14.2% 544% $404

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Bahamas

$151 4.5% 178% $97

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Bahamas

$183 5.4% 719% $161

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $1,140 in the Bahamas. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,495 in Nassau.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $2,211 in the Bahamas. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 283% higher in the Bahamas.

Dining out costs 586% more in the Bahamas.

Public transport is 728% more expensive in the Bahamas.

Salaries are about 2.5 times higher in the Bahamas, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇧🇸 Bahamas

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

23:28 11:28 PM

12 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

399,440

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 BSD (1 BSD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

China Bahamas 12,650 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Bahamas

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

China vs Bahamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $3,377 per month in the Bahamas and $791 in China, China comes out about 77% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,140 in the Bahamas and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the Bahamas it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.