Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Belgium Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Belgium

Name: Belgium
Address: BE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in China versus $2,157 in Belgium.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in China versus $3,203 in Belgium.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $4,248 in Belgium.

Living in China costs about 67% less than in Belgium on average.

China (48% below) and Belgium (57% above) straddle the global median.

China ($466–$1,226) and Belgium ($1,815–$2,607) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.65

$22.93 €19.62

-87.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.85 ¥147

$91.2 €78.0

-76.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 ¥33.83

$13.84 €11.84

-63.58%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥20.28

$4.21 €3.60

-28.27%

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

$0.47 ¥3.18

$3.41 €2.92

-86.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$3.09 €2.64

-90.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$5.86 €5.01

-81.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.25

$5.86 €5.01

-61.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.10

$1.36 €1.16

32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.41

$2.69 €2.30

-36.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.48

$2.43 €2.08

-60.08%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.81

$4.20 €3.59

-61.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 ¥87.3

$16.28 €13.93

-20.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥22.77

$12.37 €10.58

-72.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 ¥76.0

$20.95 €17.92

-45.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.97

$2.89 €2.47

-38.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.37

$2.54 €2.17

-50.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.89

$2.79 €2.39

-47.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.69

$3.33 €2.85

-61.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$2.40 €2.06

-67.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$1.78 €1.52

-51.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.32

$1.60 €1.37

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$1.17 €1.00

-49.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.50

$13.46 €11.52

-71.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.9

$9.39 €8.04

26.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

$1.92 €1.64

-55.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.42

$2.49 €2.13

-31.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$3.32 €2.84

-91.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.27 ¥150

$56.8 €48.61

-60.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.86

$5.95 €5.09

-75.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$2.79 €2.39

-86.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥47.12

$44.65 €38.20

-84.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$1.93 €1.65

-34.72%

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

$19.0K ¥127.5K

$37.2K €31.8K

-48.97%

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

$17.0K ¥114.3K

$35.2K €30.1K

-51.64%

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

$55.3 ¥371

$234 €200

-76.37%

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

$8.77 ¥58.9

$23.22 €19.86

-62.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.78 ¥72.4

$54.9 €46.99

-80.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 ¥265

$37.45 €32.04

5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.61 ¥98.1

$20.92 €17.90

-30.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ¥45.15

$15.44 €13.21

-56.48%

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

$447 ¥3,002

$1,004 €858

-55.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ¥132.4K

$28.1K €24.0K

-29.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 ¥293

$106 €90.9

-58.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.93 ¥235

$48.99 €41.91

-28.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥517

$109 €93.0

-29.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ¥518

$151 €130

-49.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 ¥2,579

$1,042 €891

-63.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,549

$884 €756

-73.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ¥5,534

$1,548 €1,324

-46.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ¥3,169

$1,317 €1,127

-64.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,687 ¥31.5K

$4,656 €3,982

0.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 ¥15.7K

$3,162 €2,705

-25.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,269

$3,070 €2,626

-64.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

3.62

-4.14%

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

Last update for China: August 15, 2026

Last update for Belgium: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $290 in China, $957 in Belgium. Capital cities: $953 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,406 in Brussels.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $2,939 in Belgium. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 230% higher in Belgium.

Dining out costs 348% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 206% more expensive in Belgium.

Salaries are 243% higher in Belgium, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Belgium.

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 $2,211 per month in Belgium and $846 in China, there's a 161% 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 simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Belgium is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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.