Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Eritrea Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Eritrea

Name: Eritrea
Address: ER

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in China versus $728 in Eritrea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,075 in Eritrea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $1,422 in Eritrea.

Living in China costs about 2% less than in Eritrea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Eritrea 46% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Eritrea: monthly costs span $0 to $1,455, compared to $523–$1,194 in China. City choice carries more weight in Eritrea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.51

$12.23 ERN 183

-76.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.89 ¥163

$30.10 ERN 452

-20.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 ¥32.61

$5.59 ERN 83.9

-14.67%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥21.02

$0.74 ERN 11.15

316.22%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$1.79 ERN 26.83

-75.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.84

$1.32 ERN 19.79

-79.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ¥6.36

$1.01 ERN 15.20

-7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.96

$1.99 ERN 29.80

2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ¥12.16

$1.63 ERN 24.50

9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥10.94

$0.52 ERN 7.77

207.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.70

$1.95 ERN 29.28

-49.74%

Eggs

$1.55 ¥10.60

$4.58 ERN 68.7

-66.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 ¥90.3

$3.08 ERN 46.27

329.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥23.13

$26.44 ERN 397

-87.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.52 ¥71.9

$10.11 ERN 152

4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 ¥12.59

$12.08 ERN 181

-84.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.89

$1.31 ERN 19.64

-0.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥10.03

$1.93 ERN 28.92

-23.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.83

$1.25 ERN 18.82

-8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.94

$1.81 ERN 27.15

-60.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.40

$1.10 ERN 16.48

-14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.16

$0.70 ERN 10.54

-12.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.61

$2.16 ERN 32.41

-75.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 ¥24.15

$2.04 ERN 30.67

73.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 ¥81.2

$11.84 ERN 178

0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.39

$0.99 ERN 14.81

-20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.51

$1.14 ERN 17.06

48.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.98

$0.15 ERN 2.22

193.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 ¥143

$7.84 ERN 118

167.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.39

$0.68 ERN 10.27

102.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.40

$0.64 ERN 9.64

-45.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 ¥46.13

$8.49 ERN 127

-20.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥7.93

$2.14 ERN 32.15

-45.79%

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

$19.7K ¥134.8K

$67.4K ERN 1.0M

-70.73%

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

$16.9K ¥115.8K

$69.4K ERN 1.0M

-75.59%

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

$50.3 ¥344

$27.68 ERN 415

81.72%

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

$10.04 ¥68.5

$68.4 ERN 1,026

-85.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.39 ¥77.8

$201 ERN 3,020

-94.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.16 ¥274

$26.54 ERN 398

51.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.68 ¥100

$7.72 ERN 116

90.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 ¥42.39

$1.13 ERN 16.99

449.56%

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

$402 ¥2,746

$25.25 ERN 379

1492.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥119.1K

$1,656 ERN 24.8K

953.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.39 ¥317

$81.9 ERN 1,229

-43.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.60 ¥223

$74.7 ERN 1,121

-56.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 ¥487

$199 ERN 2,989

-64.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 ¥511

$95.6 ERN 1,434

-21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,931

$469 ERN 7,040

-8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,783

$398 ERN 5,965

-34.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ¥6,253

$713 ERN 10.7K

28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ¥3,725

$655 ERN 9,820

-16.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,127 ¥35.0K

$1,288 ERN 19.3K

298.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,614 ¥17.9K

$1,870 ERN 28.0K

39.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,061 ¥7,244

$509 ERN 7,633

108.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

-66.17%

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

Last update for China: April 12, 2026

Last update for Eritrea: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $236 in Eritrea. Capital cities: $914 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $473 in Asmara.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 22% higher in China.

Dining out costs 31% more in China.

Public transport is 350% more expensive 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 Eritrea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $859 per month in China and $728 in Eritrea, there's a 18% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Eritrea is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats Eritrea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Eritrea, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Eritrea wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.