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: $720 in China versus $689 in Eritrea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $1,083 in Eritrea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $1,477 in Eritrea.

Living in China is roughly 4% more expensive than in Eritrea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Eritrea 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$21.04 ERN 316

-86.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$34.65 ERN 520

-34.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$5.48 ERN 82.3

-7.48%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$0.73 ERN 10.94

302.74%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.97 ERN 14.58

-50.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.99 ERN 14.85

-69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$0.96 ERN 14.37

10.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.56 ERN 23.43

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$2.33 ERN 35.02

-58.80%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$4.47 ERN 67.1

-63.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$2.98 ERN 44.72

356.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$26.38 ERN 396

-87.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$10.09 ERN 152

9.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$12.07 ERN 181

-85.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$1.31 ERN 19.75

-0.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$2.04 ERN 30.63

-27.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$1.14 ERN 17.16

14.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$1.78 ERN 26.74

-59.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.90 ERN 13.55

4.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$2.15 ERN 32.35

-73.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$12.23 ERN 184

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.02 ERN 15.25

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$1.02 ERN 15.26

61.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.12 ERN 1.78

141.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$8.10 ERN 122

179.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.58 ERN 8.72

-41.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$10.08 ERN 151

-27.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$2.57 ERN 38.65

-52.14%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$66.9K ERN 1.0M

-70.80%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$69.4K ERN 1.0M

-75.14%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$25.13 ERN 377

120.69%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$67.5 ERN 1,014

-87.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$199 ERN 2,983

-94.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$27.35 ERN 411

46.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$4.86 ERN 73.0

204.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$1.22 ERN 18.32

451.64%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$25.50 ERN 383

1681.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$2,585 ERN 38.8K

655.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$138 ERN 2,067

-67.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$122 ERN 1,835

-70.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$200 ERN 3,001

-61.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$150 ERN 2,256

-48.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$255 ERN 3,828

51.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$200 ERN 3,003

21.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$453 ERN 6,808

84.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$424 ERN 6,364

11.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$1,256 ERN 18.9K

267.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$2,293 ERN 34.4K

1.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$492 ERN 7,383

115.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

18.5

-81.24%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Eritrea: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $123 in Eritrea. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $247 in Asmara.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 140% higher in China.

Dining out costs 24% more in China.

Public transport is 325% 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 $852 per month in China and $689 in Eritrea, there's a 24% 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 Eritrea: 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 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 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: Eritrea wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.