Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and El Salvador

Name: El Salvador
Address: SV

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,482 in El Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in El Salvador
Learn more

El Salvador Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in El Salvador

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $1,482 in El Salvador.

China $791
El Salvador $1,482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $2,112 in El Salvador.

China $1,251
El Salvador $2,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $2,742 in El Salvador.

China $1,711
El Salvador $2,742

Internal cost variation is higher in El Salvador: monthly costs span $207 to $1,812, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in El Salvador.

Living in China costs about 47% less than in El Salvador on average.

China (42% below) and El Salvador (9% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.79

$6.92 $6.92

-56.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$45.49 $45.49

-51.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.56

$6.84 $6.84

-23.98%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.72

$3.57 $3.57

-16.81%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$1.14 $1.14

-57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.00

$0.85 $0.85

-64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.17

$2.04 $2.04

-47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.13

$3.60 $3.60

-36.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.95

$1.84 $1.84

-2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.14

$2.28 $2.28

-26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.58 $1.58

-41.77%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.72

$2.74 $2.74

-41.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.0

$7.30 $7.30

83.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.25

$5.99 $5.99

-44.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$9.16 $9.16

23.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.11

$3.83 $3.83

-52.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.68

$1.70 $1.70

-22.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$2.90 $2.90

-48.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.46

$2.86 $2.86

-55.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$2.91 $2.91

-75.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.35 $2.35

-60.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$0.97 $0.97

-36.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$1.00 $1.00

-44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.13

$3.96 $3.96

-4.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$11.76 $11.76

3.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.53

$1.93 $1.93

-56.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.20

$2.80 $2.80

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.36 $0.36

-19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$31.83 $31.83

-43.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$6.57 $6.57

-77.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$2.93 $2.93

-87.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.19

$19.66 $19.66

-63.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.36

$1.22 $1.22

3.28%

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

$19.4K ¥129.3K

$25.1K $25.1K

-22.62%

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

$17.5K ¥116.6K

$28.1K $28.1K

-37.50%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$115 $115

-52.74%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$22.61 $22.61

-61.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$40.70 $40.70

-72.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$29.90 $29.90

36.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.3

$17.02 $17.02

-14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.07

$5.14 $5.14

31.91%

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

$517 ¥3,434

$168 $168

207.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.7K

$4,369 $4,369

353.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$62.9 $62.9

-26.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$48.82 $48.82

-26.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$119 $119

-35.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥533

$105 $105

-23.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,565

$745 $745

-48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,559

$652 $652

-64.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,463

$1,269 $1,269

-35.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,012

$882 $882

-48.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$2,727 $2,727

72.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$1,550 $1,550

53.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,267

$433 $433

152.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

8.48

-59.20%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for El Salvador: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

El Salvador

$652 44% 178% $417

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

El Salvador

$261 17.6% 24.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

El Salvador

$151 10.2% 40.6% $44

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

El Salvador

$144 9.7% 63.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

El Salvador

$179 12.1% 140% $104

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

El Salvador

$40 2.7% 26% $14

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

El Salvador

$55 3.7% 144% $32

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $619 in El Salvador. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $893 in San Salvador.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $571 in El Salvador. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 108% higher in El Salvador.

Dining out costs 91% more in El Salvador.

Public transport is 44% more expensive in El Salvador.

Salaries are 53% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇸🇻 El Salvador

🕒 Local time

11:55 11:55 AM

21:55 9:55 PM

14 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

6,029,976

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China El Salvador 13,490 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

China
El Salvador

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 El Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,482 in El Salvador, China comes out about 47% cheaper. 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 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.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $619 in El Salvador 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.