Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Cape Verde

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,123 in Cape Verde, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

China
Cape Verde
🇨🇳 China
$791
/mo nomad
🇨🇻 Cape Verde
$1,123
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Cape Verde

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

A single person spends $791 per month in China vs $1,123 in Cape Verde, rent included.

  • China $791
  • Cape Verde $1,123

A couple spends around $1,251 per month in China vs $1,700 in Cape Verde, rent included.

  • China $1,251
  • Cape Verde $1,700

A family of three spends $1,711 per month in China vs $2,276 in Cape Verde, rent included.

  • China $1,711
  • Cape Verde $2,276

Cost ranges are similar: China spans $465–$1,222, Cape Verde $387–$1,195. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in China is roughly 30% lower than in Cape Verde on average.

Both China and Cape Verde are more affordable than the global median – China 42% lower, Cape Verde 18% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
China
Cape Verde
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.98 ¥19.84
$5.46 CVE 540
-45.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.09 ¥147
$53.4 CVE 5,280
-58.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.20 ¥34.66
$9.67 CVE 956
-46.23%
Cappuccino
$2.97 ¥19.77
$2.42 CVE 239
22.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ¥3.19
$2.12 CVE 209
-77.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ¥2.01
$1.19 CVE 117
-74.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.08 ¥7.19
$3.00 CVE 297
-64.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 ¥15.18
$1.97 CVE 195
15.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
China
Cape Verde
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 ¥11.98
$1.39 CVE 137
29.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.68 ¥11.17
$1.71 CVE 169
-1.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.92 ¥6.14
$1.85 CVE 183
-50.27%
Eggs
$1.61 ¥10.75
$2.45 CVE 242
-34.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.38 ¥89.2
$13.30 CVE 1,315
0.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.35 ¥22.31
$8.68 CVE 858
-61.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.35 ¥75.7
$18.49 CVE 1,828
-38.62%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 ¥12.14
$3.13 CVE 310
-41.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 ¥8.71
$2.64 CVE 261
-50.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 ¥9.91
$2.95 CVE 292
-49.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 ¥8.49
$3.84 CVE 380
-66.93%
Potato (1kg)
$0.71 ¥4.74
$1.49 CVE 147
-52.35%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 ¥6.22
$1.74 CVE 172
-46.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.62 ¥4.12
$1.25 CVE 124
-50.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ¥3.75
$1.22 CVE 121
-54.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.78 ¥25.19
$4.97 CVE 492
-23.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.13 ¥80.9
$8.00 CVE 791
51.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥5.55
$2.06 CVE 204
-59.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ¥11.23
$1.79 CVE 177
-6.15%
🚌 Getting Around
China
Cape Verde
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.92
$0.89 CVE 87.7
-67.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.83 ¥119
$30.02 CVE 2,969
-40.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.49 ¥9.91
$1.98 CVE 196
-24.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 ¥2.50
$2.56 CVE 253
-85.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.10 ¥47.31
$15.49 CVE 1,532
-54.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 ¥8.39
$1.51 CVE 149
-16.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K ¥129.6K
$29.4K CVE 2.9M
-33.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.5K ¥116.9K
$38.7K CVE 3.8M
-54.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
Cape Verde
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$54.6 ¥364
$148 CVE 14.6K
-63.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.73 ¥58.2
$16.86 CVE 1,667
-48.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.07 ¥73.8
$52.8 CVE 5,222
-79.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
China
Cape Verde
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.77 ¥272
$29.34 CVE 2,901
38.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.48 ¥96.5
$7.86 CVE 778
84.22%
Cinema Ticket
$6.78 ¥45.19
$5.57 CVE 550
21.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
China
Cape Verde
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$517 ¥3,443
$147 CVE 14.5K
252.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.8K ¥132.0K
$3,055 CVE 302.1K
548.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
China
Cape Verde
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.53 ¥310
$51.0 CVE 5,045
-8.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.66 ¥238
$25.45 CVE 2,517
40.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ¥513
$64.7 CVE 6,399
18.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.3 ¥535
$137 CVE 13.5K
-41.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
China
Cape Verde
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$386 ¥2,572
$419 CVE 41.4K
-7.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$235 ¥1,563
$251 CVE 24.8K
-6.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$822 ¥5,478
$577 CVE 57.1K
42.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$453 ¥3,020
$334 CVE 33.0K
35.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,697 ¥31.3K
$1,099 CVE 108.6K
327.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,372 ¥15.8K
$777 CVE 76.9K
205.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
China
Cape Verde
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,093 ¥7,286
$325 CVE 32.1K
236.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
7.33
-52.80%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cape Verde: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
China
$235
Cape Verde
$251 7% $16
Groceries & Markets
China
$210
Cape Verde
$307 46.1% $97
Clothing & Footwear
China
$108
Cape Verde
$125 16% $17
Eating Out
China
$88
Cape Verde
$134 51.9% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
$74
Cape Verde
$217 192% $143
Sport & Entertainment
China
$54
Cape Verde
$40 25.5% $14
Getting Around
China
$22
Cape Verde
$48 116% $26

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $298 in China vs $412 in Cape Verde. For reference, capital cities sit at $933 in Beijing (Pekin) and $570 in Praia.

Average salary: $873 in China vs $275 in Cape Verde. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 38% higher in Cape Verde.

Dining out costs 109% more in Cape Verde.

Public transport is 67% more expensive in Cape Verde.

Salaries are about 3.2 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know
🇨🇳 China
🇨🇻 Cape Verde
🕒 Local time
19:10 7:10 PM
10:10 10:10 AM
9 h behind China
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,442,965,000
555,988
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 98.88 CVE (100 CVE = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • China Cape Verde 12,640 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • China
  • Cape Verde

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 Cape Verde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Cape Verde or China?
China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 30% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Cape Verde or in China?
Housing costs more in Cape Verde: a central one-bedroom averages $412 versus $298 in China.
How do daily expenses compare in Cape Verde vs China?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in China, adding to the overall 42% price gap.
Which country is better for expats: Cape Verde or 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.

China vs other spots: cost of living compared

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