Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Ecuador

Name: Ecuador
Address: EC

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $897 in Ecuador, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Ecuador
Learn more

Ecuador Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Ecuador

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $897 in Ecuador.

China $791
Ecuador $897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,406 in Ecuador.

China $1,251
Ecuador $1,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $1,915 in Ecuador.

China $1,711
Ecuador $1,915

China ($465–$1,222) and Ecuador ($558–$1,235) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in China costs about 12% less than in Ecuador on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Ecuador 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.78

$3.45 $3.45

-13.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$34.58 $34.58

-36.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.55

$7.13 $7.13

-27.07%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.71

$2.67 $2.67

11.24%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$1.02 $1.02

-52.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.00

$0.78 $0.78

-61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.17

$2.03 $2.03

-46.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.13

$3.98 $3.98

-42.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.94

$1.07 $1.07

68.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.13

$1.84 $1.84

-8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.46 $1.46

-36.99%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.72

$2.07 $2.07

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥88.9

$6.27 $6.27

113.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.25

$5.37 $5.37

-37.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.4

$7.71 $7.71

47.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.11

$1.97 $1.97

-7.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.68

$1.05 $1.05

24.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$1.32 $1.32

12.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.46

$1.22 $1.22

4.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$1.17 $1.17

-39.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$1.00 $1.00

-7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$0.76 $0.76

-18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$1.08 $1.08

-48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.12

$5.93 $5.93

-36.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.6

$9.85 $9.85

23.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.53

$1.66 $1.66

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.19

$3.08 $3.08

-45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.33 $0.33

-12.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥118

$20.67 $20.67

-13.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$1.48 $1.48

0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$1.54 $1.54

-75.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.17

$9.91 $9.91

-28.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.36

$0.84 $0.84

50.00%

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

$19.4K ¥129.2K

$22.8K $22.8K

-14.67%

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

$17.5K ¥116.5K

$30.8K $30.8K

-43.12%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$44.22 $44.22

23.38%

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

$8.73 ¥58.0

$13.37 $13.37

-34.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.5

$28.60 $28.60

-61.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$32.52 $32.52

25.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.2

$15.40 $15.40

-5.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.05

$6.93 $6.93

-2.16%

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

$517 ¥3,433

$391 $391

32.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.6K

$6,017 $6,017

229.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$63.7 $63.7

-26.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$45.09 $45.09

-20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$105 $105

-26.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥533

$79.5 $79.5

0.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,564

$418 $418

-7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,558

$299 $299

-21.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,461

$643 $643

27.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,011

$535 $535

-15.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$1,502 $1,502

212.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$823 $823

188.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,264

$531 $531

105.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

10.34

-66.54%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ecuador: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Ecuador

$299 33.4% 27.7% $65

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Ecuador

$195 21.8% 7.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Ecuador

$132 14.7% 22.5% $24

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Ecuador

$106 11.9% 20.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Ecuador

$86 9.6% 15.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Ecuador

$46 5.2% 14.6% $7.9

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Ecuador

$31 3.5% 39.7% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $382 in Ecuador. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $548 in Quito.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $513 in Ecuador. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 28% higher in Ecuador.

Dining out costs 86% more in Ecuador.

Public transport is 22% more expensive in Ecuador.

Salaries are 70% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇪🇨 Ecuador

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

10:04 10:04 AM

13 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

16,938,986

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China Ecuador 15,350 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Ecuador

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 Ecuador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $897 in Ecuador, China comes out about 12% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $382 in Ecuador and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.