Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Djibouti

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $2,068 in Djibouti, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

China
Djibouti
🇨🇳 China
$791
/mo nomad
🇩🇯 Djibouti
$2,068
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Djibouti

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $2,068 in Djibouti.

  • China $791
  • Djibouti $2,068

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $3,229 in Djibouti.

  • China $1,251
  • Djibouti $3,229

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $4,389 in Djibouti.

  • China $1,711
  • Djibouti $4,389

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $2,069–$2,069 in Djibouti. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 62% less than in Djibouti on average.

China (42% below) and Djibouti (52% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
China
Djibouti
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.98 ¥19.79
$9.60 DJF 1,704
-68.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.09 ¥147
$73.3 DJF 13.0K
-69.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.20 ¥34.56
$15.52 DJF 2,754
-66.49%
Cappuccino
$2.97 ¥19.72
$3.45 DJF 612
-13.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ¥3.19
$1.86 DJF 329
-74.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ¥2.00
$1.68 DJF 298
-82.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.08 ¥7.17
$6.84 DJF 1,214
-84.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 ¥15.13
$8.21 DJF 1,457
-72.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
China
Djibouti
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 ¥11.95
$2.85 DJF 507
-36.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.68 ¥11.14
$9.42 DJF 1,672
-82.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.92 ¥6.13
$2.79 DJF 495
-67.03%
Eggs
$1.61 ¥10.72
$5.84 DJF 1,037
-72.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.38 ¥89.0
$9.73 DJF 1,726
37.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.35 ¥22.25
$18.01 DJF 3,196
-81.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.35 ¥75.5
$12.30 DJF 2,183
-7.72%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 ¥12.11
$3.71 DJF 658
-50.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 ¥8.68
$1.20 DJF 213
9.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 ¥9.88
$2.63 DJF 466
-43.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 ¥8.46
$1.58 DJF 280
-19.62%
Potato (1kg)
$0.71 ¥4.73
$1.56 DJF 278
-54.49%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 ¥6.21
$1.69 DJF 300
-44.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.62 ¥4.11
$5.71 DJF 1,013
-89.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ¥3.74
$0.54 DJF 95.6
3.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.78 ¥25.13
$1.94 DJF 345
94.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.13 ¥80.7
$20.72 DJF 3,678
-41.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥5.53
$2.39 DJF 424
-65.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ¥11.20
$3.45 DJF 613
-51.30%
🚌 Getting Around
China
Djibouti
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.91
$0.43 DJF 76.7
-32.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.83 ¥119
$42.59 DJF 7,560
-58.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.49 ¥9.88
$2.84 DJF 504
-47.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 ¥2.49
$5.59 DJF 992
-93.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.10 ¥47.19
$28.15 DJF 4,996
-74.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 ¥8.36
$2.23 DJF 397
-43.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K ¥129.3K
$34.0K DJF 6.0M
-42.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.5K ¥116.6K
$33.3K DJF 5.9M
-47.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
Djibouti
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$54.6 ¥363
$526 DJF 93.3K
-89.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.73 ¥58.1
$32.11 DJF 5,698
-72.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.07 ¥73.6
$59.9 DJF 10.6K
-81.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
China
Djibouti
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.77 ¥271
$85.8 DJF 15.2K
-52.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.48 ¥96.3
$28.63 DJF 5,081
-49.42%
Cinema Ticket
$6.78 ¥45.07
$12.46 DJF 2,211
-45.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
China
Djibouti
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$517 ¥3,434
$338 DJF 60.0K
52.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.8K ¥131.7K
$8,942 DJF 1.6M
121.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
China
Djibouti
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.53 ¥309
$42.81 DJF 7,598
8.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.66 ¥237
$19.91 DJF 3,533
79.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ¥512
$121 DJF 21.5K
-36.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.3 ¥533
$55.1 DJF 9,780
45.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
China
Djibouti
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$386 ¥2,565
$675 DJF 119.7K
-42.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$235 ¥1,559
$472 DJF 83.8K
-50.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$822 ¥5,463
$999 DJF 177.3K
-17.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$453 ¥3,012
$1,263 DJF 224.1K
-64.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,697 ¥31.2K
$12.6K DJF 2.2M
-62.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,372 ¥15.8K
$6,183 DJF 1.1M
-61.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
China
Djibouti
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,093 ¥7,267
$2,790 DJF 495.1K
-60.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
13.07
-73.53%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Djibouti: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
China
$235
Djibouti
$472 101% $238
Groceries & Markets
China
$210
Djibouti
$455 117% $245
Clothing & Footwear
China
$108
Djibouti
$108 0.1% $0.2
Eating Out
China
$88
Djibouti
$230 161% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
$74
Djibouti
$618 731% $543
Sport & Entertainment
China
$54
Djibouti
$111 104% $56
Getting Around
China
$22
Djibouti
$75 236% $53

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $672 in Djibouti. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $672 in Djibouti.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $2,785 in Djibouti. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 126% higher in Djibouti.

Dining out costs 227% more in Djibouti.

Public transport is 139% more expensive in Djibouti.

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

Good to know
🇨🇳 China
🇩🇯 Djibouti
🕒 Local time
11:28 11:28 AM
06:28 6:28 AM
5 h behind China
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,442,965,000
1,152,944
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DJF, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Djiboutian Franc exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 177 DJF (1,000 DJF = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 199 DJF (1,000 DJF = 5.03 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • China Djibouti 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • China
  • Djibouti

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 Djibouti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Djibouti?
At $791 per month in China and $2,068 in Djibouti, China comes out about 62% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: China or Djibouti?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between China and Djibouti?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $672 in Djibouti and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in China and in Djibouti?
It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

China vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?