Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Belgium

Name: Belgium
Address: BE

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $784 a month against $2,224 in Belgium, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Belgium
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Belgium Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$784

/mo nomad

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Belgium

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in China versus $2,224 in Belgium.

China $784
Belgium $2,224

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,268 in China versus $3,262 in Belgium.

China $1,268
Belgium $3,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,752 in China versus $4,301 in Belgium.

China $1,752
Belgium $4,301

China ($461–$1,250) and Belgium ($1,782–$2,552) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in China costs about 65% less than in Belgium on average.

China (42% below) and Belgium (66% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ¥19.39

$22.21 €19.82

-86.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.02 ¥147

$89.8 €80.2

-75.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.74

$13.29 €11.86

-60.87%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.31

$4.13 €3.69

-26.39%

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

$0.52 ¥3.45

$3.44 €3.07

-84.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$2.87 €2.56

-90.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.75

$5.70 €5.08

-82.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥14.64

$5.36 €4.78

-59.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.71

$1.26 €1.13

38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.96

$2.51 €2.24

-34.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$2.41 €2.15

-61.83%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.66

$4.06 €3.62

-60.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$15.86 €14.15

-18.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.38

$12.18 €10.87

-72.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 ¥74.7

$20.71 €18.48

-46.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.02

$2.72 €2.43

-33.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.78

$2.35 €2.10

-44.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.80

$2.64 €2.36

-44.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 ¥8.79

$3.26 €2.91

-59.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.07

$2.24 €2.00

-66.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.81 €1.62

-49.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$1.54 €1.38

-61.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$1.11 €0.99

-51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ¥25.34

$13.01 €11.61

-70.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 ¥81.1

$8.81 €7.86

37.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.48

$1.88 €1.68

-56.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.92

$2.39 €2.13

-31.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$3.21 €2.86

-90.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.33 ¥149

$55.5 €49.52

-59.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$5.51 €4.92

-72.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.31

$2.73 €2.44

-87.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.00 ¥46.79

$45.73 €40.81

-84.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.77

$2.03 €1.81

-35.47%

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

$19.0K ¥127.1K

$35.7K €31.9K

-46.71%

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

$17.0K ¥113.7K

$33.6K €29.9K

-49.29%

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

$54.1 ¥362

$237 €211

-77.12%

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

$8.42 ¥56.3

$22.53 €20.11

-62.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.72 ¥71.6

$53.8 €48.02

-80.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.72 ¥272

$35.38 €31.57

15.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.58 ¥97.4

$20.79 €18.56

-29.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.15

$14.96 €13.35

-54.81%

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

$462 ¥3,089

$1,034 €923

-55.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$29.3K €26.2K

-33.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥305

$106 €94.2

-56.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.05 ¥241

$47.51 €42.40

-24.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$109 €97.3

-30.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 ¥528

$145 €129

-45.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,577

$973 €868

-60.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,601

$850 €759

-71.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 ¥5,637

$1,506 €1,344

-43.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥3,083

$1,263 €1,127

-63.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,590 ¥30.7K

$4,520 €4,033

1.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$3,184 €2,841

-28.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 ¥7,082

$3,036 €2,709

-65.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.64

-4.95%

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

Last update for China: October 4, 2026

Last update for Belgium: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30.1%

Belgium

$850 39% 255% $611

Groceries & Markets

China

$207 26.1%

Belgium

$350 16.1% 69.2% $143

Clothing & Footwear

China

$106 13.4%

Belgium

$183 8.4% 72.4% $77

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Belgium

$332 15.2% 277% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$73 9.2%

Belgium

$313 14.4% 327% $240

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.8%

Belgium

$65 3% 20.4% $11

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Belgium

$87 4% 227% $61

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $297 in China, $942 in Belgium. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,318 in Brussels.

National salary averages: $868 in China, $2,946 in Belgium. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 217% higher in Belgium.

Dining out costs 338% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 159% more expensive in Belgium.

Salaries are 239% higher in Belgium, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Belgium.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇧🇪 Belgium

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

10:17 10:17 AM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

11,584,008

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China Belgium 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Belgium

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 Belgium: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,224 per month in Belgium and $784 in China, there's a 184% gap. 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 $942 in Belgium and $297 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 Belgium 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; Belgium may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.