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: $720 in China versus $450 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $732 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $1,013 in Egypt.

Living in China is roughly 60% more expensive than in Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Egypt 67% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $468 to $1,236, compared to $325–$729 in Egypt. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$4.04 E£207

-27.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$19.42 E£996

16.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$4.94 E£253

2.63%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$1.53 E£78.3

92.16%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.34 E£17.65

41.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.13 E£6.59

130.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$1.46 E£74.9

-27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$2.99 E£153

-24.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$0.85 E£43.84

110.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$0.70 E£36.14

142.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$0.65 E£33.31

47.69%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$1.32 E£67.7

21.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$3.45 E£177

294.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$4.26 E£219

-19.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$8.99 E£461

23.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.57 E£80.3

15.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$0.68 E£34.83

91.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$0.50 E£25.65

196.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$0.41 E£21.19

217.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.38 E£19.33

89.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.38 E£19.70

147.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$0.29 E£14.63

110.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.20 E£10.25

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$2.00 E£103

83.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$7.05 E£362

68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.45 E£74.4

-42.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$2.11 E£108

-21.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.30 E£15.50

-3.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$8.14 E£418

177.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$0.38 E£19.25

281.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.28 E£14.24

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$1.81 E£93.0

301.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$0.43 E£21.86

186.05%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-41.46%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$28.4K E£1.5M

-39.34%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$22.40 E£1,149

147.59%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$7.19 E£369

18.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$13.44 E£689

-19.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$17.79 E£913

124.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$6.66 E£342

122.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$2.90 E£149

132.07%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$94.0 E£4,821

383.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$2,482 E£127.3K

686.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$27.14 E£1,393

65.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$44.76 E£2,296

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$110 E£5,664

-30.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$50.5 E£2,589

53.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$155 E£7,942

148.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$94.6 E£4,854

156.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$309 E£15.8K

171.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$196 E£10.0K

142.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$747 E£38.3K

518.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$455 E£23.3K

409.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$151 E£7,764

601.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

16.46

-78.92%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Egypt: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $146 in Egypt. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $215 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $140 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 102% higher in China.

Dining out costs 24% more in China.

Public transport is 467% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 518% 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 $852 per month in China and $527 in Egypt, there's a 62% 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.