Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Cuba Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Cuba

Name: Cuba
Address: CU

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in China versus $926 in Cuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in China versus $1,312 in Cuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $1,697 in Cuba.

Living in China costs about 22% less than in Cuba on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Cuba 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.65

$6.08 CUP 146

-51.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.85 ¥147

$24.91 CUP 598

-12.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 ¥33.83

$6.64 CUP 159

-24.10%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥20.28

$1.78 CUP 42.70

69.66%

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

$0.47 ¥3.18

$1.85 CUP 44.28

-74.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$1.11 CUP 26.64

-74.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$1.99 CUP 47.64

-46.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.25

$2.47 CUP 59.2

-8.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.10

$2.79 CUP 66.9

-35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.41

$1.29 CUP 30.90

31.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.48

$2.13 CUP 51.1

-54.46%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.81

$3.29 CUP 78.9

-51.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 ¥87.3

$5.99 CUP 144

117.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥22.77

$5.11 CUP 123

-33.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 ¥76.0

$11.27 CUP 270

0.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.97

$4.18 CUP 100

-57.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.37

$1.13 CUP 27.10

10.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.89

$1.76 CUP 42.15

-16.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.69

$1.86 CUP 44.72

-30.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$2.05 CUP 49.11

-61.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$2.25 CUP 54.0

-61.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.32

$0.96 CUP 23.15

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.96 CUP 23.11

-38.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.50

$3.29 CUP 78.9

15.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.9

$10.03 CUP 241

18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

$1.83 CUP 43.89

-53.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.42

$2.11 CUP 50.8

-19.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.23 CUP 5.50

26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.27 ¥150

$19.63 CUP 471

13.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.86

$2.19 CUP 52.5

-32.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$0.43 CUP 10.42

-13.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥47.12

$19.78 CUP 475

-64.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$1.23 CUP 29.60

2.44%

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

$19.0K ¥127.5K

$71.2K CUP 1.7M

-73.34%

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

$17.0K ¥114.3K

$71.7K CUP 1.7M

-76.28%

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

$55.3 ¥371

$37.21 CUP 893

48.54%

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

$8.77 ¥58.9

$34.66 CUP 832

-74.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.78 ¥72.4

$227 CUP 5,454

-95.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 ¥265

$40.45 CUP 971

-2.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.61 ¥98.1

$13.24 CUP 318

10.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ¥45.15

$0.98 CUP 23.57

585.71%

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

$447 ¥3,002

$107 CUP 2,557

319.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ¥132.4K

$13.4K CUP 322.2K

46.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 ¥293

$40.75 CUP 978

7.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.93 ¥235

$32.41 CUP 778

7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥517

$71.0 CUP 1,704

8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ¥518

$70.7 CUP 1,696

9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 ¥2,579

$331 CUP 7,938

16.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,549

$511 CUP 12.3K

-54.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ¥5,534

$892 CUP 21.4K

-7.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ¥3,169

$615 CUP 14.7K

-23.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,687 ¥31.5K

$360 CUP 8,649

1200.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 ¥15.7K

$343 CUP 8,243

582.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,269

$36.03 CUP 865

2903.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

9.38

-63.01%

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

Last update for China: August 15, 2026

Last update for Cuba: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $290 in China, $269 in Cuba. Capital cities: $953 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $245 in Havana.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $36.00 in Cuba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 8% higher in China.

Dining out costs 10% more in Cuba.

Public transport is 21% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 2281% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 Cuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $846 per month in China and $778 in Cuba, there's a 9% 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 Cuba: 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 China is consistently higher than in Cuba across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Cuba, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China 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: Cuba wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.