Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Brazil

Name: Brazil
Address: BR

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $865 in Brazil, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
Learn more

Brazil Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Brazil

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

A single person spends $791 per month in China vs $865 in Brazil, rent included.

China $791
Brazil $865

A couple spends around $1,251 per month in China vs $1,373 in Brazil, rent included.

China $1,251
Brazil $1,373

A family of three spends $1,711 per month in China vs $1,880 in Brazil, rent included.

China $1,711
Brazil $1,880

Cost ranges are similar: China spans $465–$1,222, Brazil $569–$1,349. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in China is roughly 9% lower than in Brazil on average.

Both China and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – China 42% lower, Brazil 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.76

$6.55 R$35.64

-54.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$30.71 R$167

-28.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.51

$7.45 R$40.53

-30.20%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.68

$1.91 R$10.38

55.50%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$1.15 R$6.28

-58.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.00

$0.76 R$4.11

-60.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.16

$1.85 R$10.06

-41.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.11

$2.86 R$15.53

-20.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.93

$1.03 R$5.61

74.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.12

$1.57 R$8.51

7.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$1.24 R$6.72

-25.81%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.70

$2.10 R$11.44

-23.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥88.8

$8.87 R$48.21

50.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.22

$3.99 R$21.71

-16.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.3

$7.76 R$42.17

46.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.09

$2.15 R$11.71

-15.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.67

$1.27 R$6.91

3.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.86

$1.16 R$6.28

28.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.45

$1.53 R$8.31

-16.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$1.16 R$6.31

-38.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$1.02 R$5.54

-8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$0.74 R$4.03

-16.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.72 R$3.90

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.08

$2.25 R$12.26

68.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.5

$7.65 R$41.60

58.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.52

$1.30 R$7.09

-36.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.18

$2.16 R$11.77

-22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.94 R$5.11

-69.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥118

$44.00 R$239

-59.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.87

$1.23 R$6.68

21.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.96 R$5.20

-61.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.11

$7.42 R$40.34

-4.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.35

$1.21 R$6.60

4.13%

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

$19.4K ¥129.1K

$22.1K R$120.4K

-12.19%

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

$17.5K ¥116.4K

$31.6K R$171.6K

-44.44%

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

$54.6 ¥362

$77.2 R$420

-29.31%

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

$8.73 ¥58.0

$12.44 R$67.6

-29.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.5

$19.80 R$108

-44.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$24.36 R$132

67.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.1

$25.46 R$138

-43.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.00

$6.98 R$37.97

-2.87%

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

$517 ¥3,429

$316 R$1,718

63.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.5K

$8,298 R$45.1K

138.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$49.37 R$268

-5.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$45.73 R$249

-22.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥511

$83.4 R$454

-7.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥533

$65.6 R$357

22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,560

$373 R$2,028

3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,557

$251 R$1,362

-6.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,454

$719 R$3,909

14.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,007

$490 R$2,666

-7.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$1,795 R$9,759

161.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.7K

$1,269 R$6,900

86.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,255

$496 R$2,699

120.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

11.17

-69.02%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Brazil

$251 29% 6.8% $16

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Brazil

$183 21.2% 12.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Brazil

$110 12.7% 2% $2.1

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Brazil

$120 13.9% 36.6% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Brazil

$109 12.6% 47.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Brazil

$38 4.4% 29.4% $16

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Brazil

$54 6.2% 141% $31

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $298 in China vs $335 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $933 in Beijing (Pekin) and $517 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $873 in China vs $468 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 12% higher in Brazil.

Dining out costs 32% more in Brazil.

Public transport is 139% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 87% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇧🇷 Brazil

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

21:47 9:47 PM

11 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

203,062,512

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Brazil 16,930 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Brazil

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 Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 9% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Brazil: a central one-bedroom averages $335 versus $298 in China.

China is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.