Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Estonia

Name: Estonia
Address: EE

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $1,716 in Estonia, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Estonia
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Estonia Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Estonia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in China versus $1,716 in Estonia.

China $789
Estonia $1,716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in China versus $2,633 in Estonia.

China $1,254
Estonia $2,633

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in China versus $3,549 in Estonia.

China $1,720
Estonia $3,549

Internal cost variation is higher in Estonia: monthly costs span $999 to $2,490, compared to $468–$1,246 in China. City choice carries more weight in Estonia.

Living in China costs about 54% less than in Estonia on average.

China (42% below) and Estonia (27% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.26

$16.96 €15.22

-82.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.12 ¥147

$76.9 €69.0

-71.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.78

$11.39 €10.22

-52.85%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.55

$4.13 €3.71

-29.06%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$2.61 €2.34

-81.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$2.45 €2.20

-87.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.16

$5.63 €5.05

-80.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.70

$6.83 €6.13

-67.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.09 €0.98

65.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.77

$1.50 €1.34

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.59

$2.69 €2.42

-63.20%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.80

$3.14 €2.82

-48.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.5

$11.34 €10.18

18.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥23.06

$9.07 €8.14

-61.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.3

$22.48 €20.17

-50.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$2.09 €1.88

-9.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.73

$1.47 €1.32

-10.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.97

$2.46 €2.21

-39.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.91

$2.84 €2.55

-52.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.77

$0.83 €0.74

-13.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$0.87 €0.78

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$2.01 €1.81

-67.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$1.04 €0.94

-42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥25.45

$6.64 €5.96

-42.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 ¥81.2

$10.18 €9.14

19.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.05

$1.97 €1.77

-53.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.97

$2.18 €1.96

-24.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$2.30 €2.06

-87.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥120

$33.51 €30.08

-46.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$3.56 €3.19

-57.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.47

$1.10 €0.99

-66.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ¥44.61

$26.98 €24.21

-75.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.50

$1.96 €1.76

-34.69%

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

$19.7K ¥131.6K

$27.5K €24.7K

-28.26%

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

$17.5K ¥116.3K

$30.3K €27.2K

-42.34%

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

$55.3 ¥369

$310 €278

-82.15%

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

$8.32 ¥55.4

$17.56 €15.76

-52.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 ¥74.1

$32.12 €28.82

-65.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 ¥264

$47.98 €43.06

-17.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

$37.07 €33.27

-59.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ¥44.30

$11.11 €9.97

-40.14%

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

$514 ¥3,428

$519 €465

-0.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K ¥232.6K

$11.6K €10.4K

200.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.85 ¥306

$109 €97.4

-57.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.41 ¥236

$52.5 €47.15

-32.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥507

$105 €94.3

-27.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ¥533

$124 €111

-35.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,529

$660 €592

-42.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,544

$479 €430

-51.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ¥5,569

$1,226 €1,100

-31.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥3,077

$854 €766

-45.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 ¥31.6K

$4,011 €3,600

18.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 ¥15.9K

$2,893 €2,596

-17.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 ¥7,443

$1,998 €1,793

-44.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

3.68

-6.25%

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

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Last update for Estonia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.4%

Estonia

$479 27.9% 107% $247

Groceries & Markets

China

$212 26.8%

Estonia

$299 17.4% 41.2% $87

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.5%

Estonia

$175 10.2% 64.2% $69

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Estonia

$281 16.4% 218% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.5%

Estonia

$360 21% 381% $285

Sport & Entertainment

China

$53 6.7%

Estonia

$70 4.1% 32.6% $17

Getting Around

China

$23 2.9%

Estonia

$52 3% 129% $29

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $576 in Estonia. Capital cities: $942 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $789 in Tallinn.

National salary averages: $881 in China, $1,446 in Estonia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 93% higher in Estonia.

Dining out costs 241% more in Estonia.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in Estonia.

Salaries are 64% higher in Estonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇪🇪 Estonia

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

05:38 5:38 AM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

1,374,687

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

China Estonia 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Estonia

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 Estonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $789 per month in China and $1,716 in Estonia, China comes out about 54% 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 $576 in Estonia 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.