Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Egypt Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Egypt

Name: Egypt
Address: EG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $453 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $727 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,549 in China versus $1,001 in Egypt.

Living in China is roughly 57% more expensive than in Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Egypt 66% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $533 to $1,212, compared to $316–$690 in Egypt. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.72

$4.07 E£206

-31.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.05 ¥162

$19.87 E£1,006

21.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥31.93

$5.03 E£255

-5.96%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.78

$1.46 E£74.0

110.96%

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

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.35 E£17.77

25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$0.14 E£7.16

107.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

$1.35 E£68.2

-25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.03

$2.98 E£151

-30.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.39

$0.85 E£43.13

115.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$0.58 E£29.56

179.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

$0.71 E£35.92

36.62%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

$1.49 E£75.3

8.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

$3.18 E£161

319.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.75

$4.34 E£219

-22.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.2

$8.59 E£435

24.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.26

$1.52 E£77.1

19.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.44

$0.57 E£28.62

119.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$0.44 E£22.24

231.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

$0.41 E£20.51

180.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.92

$0.48 E£24.42

52.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

$0.44 E£22.47

102.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$0.24 E£12.15

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.59

$0.22 E£11.12

140.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.93

$1.91 E£96.9

77.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.3

$6.78 E£343

73.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.23

$1.26 E£63.6

-38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.98

$1.94 E£98.4

-15.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.29 E£14.75

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

$6.09 E£308

248.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.13

$0.38 E£19.29

255.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$0.29 E£14.66

24.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥45.26

$1.25 E£63.1

436.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.98

$0.31 E£15.69

280.65%

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

$19.8K ¥133.4K

$34.2K E£1.7M

-42.29%

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

$16.5K ¥111.7K

$31.0K E£1.6M

-46.62%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$21.00 E£1,063

146.38%

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

$10.09 ¥68.2

$6.90 E£349

46.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥76.9

$11.85 E£600

-3.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 ¥265

$14.44 E£731

171.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

$6.93 E£351

114.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.56

$2.88 E£146

118.75%

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

$414 ¥2,795

$86.4 E£4,372

379.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.6K

$1,970 E£99.7K

783.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 ¥316

$25.66 E£1,299

82.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ¥223

$44.56 E£2,256

-25.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

$109 E£5,533

-35.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$50.5 E£2,555

47.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ¥2,972

$163 E£8,244

170.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,707

$102 E£5,180

146.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 ¥6,153

$324 E£16.4K

180.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥3,584

$188 E£9,510

182.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$742 E£37.6K

543.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ¥16.2K

$450 E£22.8K

433.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,144

$152 E£7,701

595.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

16.38

-75.21%

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

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Last update for Egypt: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $183 in Egypt. Capital cities: $909 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $206 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $140 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 57% higher in China.

Dining out costs 31% more in China.

Public transport is 800% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 512% 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 Egypt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $503 in Egypt, there's a 73% 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 Egypt: 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 Egypt across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Egypt, $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: Egypt wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.