Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Chad

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $1,074 in Chad, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Chad despite lower rent and utilities.

🇨🇳 China
$793
/mo nomad
🇹🇩 Chad
$1,074
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Chad

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

A single person spends $793 per month in China vs $1,074 in Chad, rent included.

  • China $793
  • Chad $1,074

A couple spends around $1,261 per month in China vs $1,430 in Chad, rent included.

  • China $1,261
  • Chad $1,430

A family of three spends $1,730 per month in China vs $1,787 in Chad, rent included.

  • China $1,730
  • Chad $1,787

The cost of living in China is roughly 26% lower than in Chad on average.

Both China and Chad are more affordable than the global median – China 41% lower, Chad 20% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
China
Chad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.96 ¥19.76
$8.73 FCFA 5,089
-66.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.74 ¥152
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.34 ¥35.70
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.04 ¥20.35
$0.81 FCFA 472
275.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ¥3.22
$0.89 FCFA 518
-46.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 ¥1.85
$0.86 FCFA 504
-67.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.03 ¥6.92
$1.32 FCFA 767
-21.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 ¥15.16
$1.75 FCFA 1,019
29.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
China
Chad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 ¥12.02
$3.69 FCFA 2,152
-51.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 ¥11.28
$0.35 FCFA 206
382.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.00 ¥6.69
$3.38 FCFA 1,971
-70.41%
Eggs
$1.56 ¥10.42
$2.01 FCFA 1,171
-22.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.44 ¥89.8
$3.32 FCFA 1,937
304.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.48 ¥23.28
$6.64 FCFA 3,870
-47.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.49 ¥76.8
$3.51 FCFA 2,046
227.35%
Apples (1kg)
$1.79 ¥12.00
$4.76 FCFA 2,775
-62.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ¥8.41
$2.08 FCFA 1,214
-39.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.48 ¥9.92
$2.49 FCFA 1,455
-40.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.31 ¥8.76
$2.41 FCFA 1,403
-45.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 ¥4.84
$1.62 FCFA 947
-55.56%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 ¥6.24
$1.57 FCFA 915
-40.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.61 ¥4.11
$0.52 FCFA 304
17.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ¥3.89
$2.15 FCFA 1,254
-73.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.84 ¥25.65
$1.03 FCFA 599
272.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.87 ¥79.4
$7.81 FCFA 4,554
51.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 ¥5.72
$1.13 FCFA 657
-23.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 ¥11.33
$1.72 FCFA 1,001
-1.74%
🚌 Getting Around
China
Chad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 ¥2.07
$0.42 FCFA 245
-26.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.36 ¥150
$85.1 FCFA 49.6K
-73.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.47 ¥9.82
$0.45 FCFA 262
226.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 ¥2.53
$0.41 FCFA 240
-7.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.03 ¥47.04
$5.06 FCFA 2,950
38.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 ¥8.32
$1.30 FCFA 758
-4.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.2K ¥128.5K
$11.8K FCFA 6.9M
62.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.3K ¥115.6K
$11.0K FCFA 6.4M
56.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
Chad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$54.3 ¥363
$42.11 FCFA 24.6K
28.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.34 ¥55.7
$25.14 FCFA 14.7K
-66.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.77 ¥72.0
$418 FCFA 243.5K
-97.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
China
Chad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.39 ¥270
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.77 ¥98.8
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.89 ¥46.08
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
China
Chad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$457 ¥3,057
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.1K ¥134.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
China
Chad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.10 ¥302
$25.53 FCFA 14.9K
76.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.65 ¥238
$33.59 FCFA 19.6K
6.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ¥521
$42.68 FCFA 24.9K
82.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.0 ¥522
$84.7 FCFA 49.4K
-7.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
China
Chad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$391 ¥2,615
$1,722 FCFA 1.0M
-77.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$232 ¥1,549
$84.6 FCFA 49.3K
173.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$816 ¥5,457
$254 FCFA 148.1K
221.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$459 ¥3,070
$168 FCFA 98.1K
172.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,585 ¥30.7K
$186 FCFA 108.2K
2370.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,309 ¥15.4K
$181 FCFA 105.5K
1177.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
China
Chad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,084 ¥7,247
$343 FCFA 200.2K
215.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
3.5
-1.14%

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

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
China
$232
Chad
$85 63.5% $147
Groceries & Markets
China
$211
Chad
$235 11.1% $23
Clothing & Footwear
China
$107
Chad
$84 21.2% $23
Eating Out
China
$89
Chad
$97 * 8.6% $7.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
$73
Chad
$485 561% $411
Sport & Entertainment
China
$54
Chad
- * 100%
Getting Around
China
$27
Chad
$89 231% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $298 in China vs $858 in Chad. For reference, capital cities sit at $940 in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,716 in N'Djamena.

Average salary: $871 in China vs $347 in Chad. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 188% higher in Chad.

Public transport is 153% more expensive in Chad.

Salaries are 151% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know
🇨🇳 China
🇹🇩 Chad
🕒 Local time
17:16 5:16 PM
10:16 10:16 AM
7 h behind China
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,442,965,000
19,319,064
Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • China Chad 10,090 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • China
  • Chad

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 Chad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chad more expensive than China?
China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 35% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Chad: a central one-bedroom averages $858 versus $298 in China.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Chad or in China?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in China, but in Chad it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Chad or to China?
China is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. 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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