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: $713 in China versus $737 in Eritrea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $1,103 in Eritrea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $1,468 in Eritrea.

Living in China costs about 3% less than in Eritrea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Eritrea 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.36

$12.31 ERN 185

-76.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.29 ¥158

$29.56 ERN 444

-21.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ¥32.66

$5.54 ERN 83.2

-12.82%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.52

$0.81 ERN 12.11

275.31%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$1.79 ERN 26.88

-74.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$1.32 ERN 19.82

-79.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ¥6.71

$0.98 ERN 14.69

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥13.74

$2.05 ERN 30.76

-0.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.86

$1.58 ERN 23.70

10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.31

$0.48 ERN 7.19

247.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.56

$1.96 ERN 29.45

-50.51%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.45

$4.44 ERN 66.7

-65.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 ¥89.9

$2.98 ERN 44.78

346.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ¥21.69

$26.43 ERN 397

-87.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 ¥73.0

$10.08 ERN 151

7.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.27

$12.05 ERN 181

-84.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.84

$1.30 ERN 19.59

0.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$1.90 ERN 28.58

-21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.74

$1.24 ERN 18.66

-8.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.90

$1.77 ERN 26.61

-58.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.86

$1.05 ERN 15.83

-17.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$0.70 ERN 10.51

-18.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$2.10 ERN 31.58

-74.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ¥23.88

$1.95 ERN 29.34

81.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 ¥79.2

$11.77 ERN 177

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.67

$1.01 ERN 15.20

-16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.29

$1.16 ERN 17.35

43.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.14 ERN 2.17

192.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

$8.17 ERN 123

154.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.21

$0.70 ERN 10.55

94.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$0.62 ERN 9.25

-46.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 ¥46.40

$8.32 ERN 125

-17.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.57

$2.19 ERN 32.83

-48.86%

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

$19.2K ¥129.8K

$66.6K ERN 1.0M

-71.20%

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

$16.9K ¥114.4K

$69.1K ERN 1.0M

-75.52%

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

$51.8 ¥350

$27.48 ERN 413

88.54%

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

$9.85 ¥66.6

$67.5 ERN 1,014

-85.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.13 ¥75.3

$200 ERN 3,006

-94.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ¥264

$26.60 ERN 400

46.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 ¥101

$7.40 ERN 111

101.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥42.24

$1.09 ERN 16.31

473.39%

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

$404 ¥2,732

$25.21 ERN 379

1502.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.5K

$1,653 ERN 24.8K

978.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.11 ¥312

$82.2 ERN 1,235

-43.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 ¥218

$75.3 ERN 1,131

-57.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 ¥491

$198 ERN 2,969

-63.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥493

$94.5 ERN 1,420

-22.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 ¥3,009

$482 ERN 7,247

-7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 ¥1,727

$400 ERN 6,005

-36.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ¥6,266

$720 ERN 10.8K

28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 ¥3,600

$652 ERN 9,797

-18.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,943 ¥33.4K

$1,277 ERN 19.2K

287.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 ¥16.9K

$2,279 ERN 34.2K

9.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,057 ¥7,148

$494 ERN 7,413

114.20%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Eritrea: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $242 in Eritrea. Capital cities: $913 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $483 in Asmara.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in China.

Dining out costs 40% 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 $871 per month in China and $737 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.