Cost of Living Comparison Between China and India Cost of Living Comparison Between China and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in China versus $365 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,145 in China versus $579 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,570 in China versus $792 in India.

Living in China is roughly 97% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, India 73% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $458 to $1,247, compared to $231–$827 in India. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ¥19.44

$2.06 ₹196

40.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.13 ¥148

$10.63 ₹1,009

108.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.61

$3.70 ₹352

43.51%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.06

$1.74 ₹165

71.84%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.37 ₹35.32

29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.03

$0.17 ₹16.34

76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ¥6.83

$1.93 ₹183

-47.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.83

$3.06 ₹290

-27.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$0.62 ₹58.9

180.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.24

$0.49 ₹46.69

242.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.43

$0.63 ₹60.1

52.38%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.35

$0.94 ₹88.9

63.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 ¥90.7

$4.67 ₹444

189.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.35

$2.88 ₹274

20.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 ¥76.1

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ¥12.59

$1.91 ₹181

-1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.68

$0.64 ₹60.9

101.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$0.98 ₹93.3

55.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.54

$0.51 ₹48.14

149.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$0.34 ₹32.08

111.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.90

$0.42 ₹39.88

109.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.48 ₹45.68

27.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.72

$0.29 ₹27.41

89.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 ¥25.04

$4.91 ₹466

-24.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.6

$7.27 ₹690

63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.04

$1.65 ₹157

-45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.28

$2.66 ₹253

-36.84%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.22 ₹495

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.27 ₹25.81

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.23 ¥149

$8.45 ₹803

163.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$0.96 ₹91.3

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.27 ₹25.87

37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.33 ¥49.17

$1.60 ₹152

358.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.20

$1.12 ₹106

8.93%

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

$19.3K ¥129.5K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

51.72%

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

$17.1K ¥114.9K

$20.4K ₹1.9M

-16.03%

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

$53.8 ¥361

$37.48 ₹3,559

43.46%

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

$8.71 ¥58.5

$3.50 ₹332

148.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.93 ¥73.3

$7.16 ₹680

52.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.74 ¥273

$14.79 ₹1,405

175.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥97.5

$7.08 ₹672

105.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ¥43.93

$3.06 ₹291

114.05%

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

$457 ¥3,066

$57.0 ₹5,409

702.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$1,679 ₹159.4K

1061.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.62 ¥306

$22.56 ₹2,142

102.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.90 ¥241

$24.04 ₹2,283

49.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ¥511

$40.60 ₹3,856

87.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 ¥513

$30.39 ₹2,886

151.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,582

$145 ₹13.8K

165.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ¥1,603

$91.4 ₹8,674

161.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 ¥5,634

$335 ₹31.8K

150.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 ¥3,246

$209 ₹19.9K

131.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,581 ¥30.7K

$1,233 ₹117.1K

271.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,266 ¥15.2K

$626 ₹59.4K

262.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,147

$443 ₹42.1K

140.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

8.94

-61.19%

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

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Last update for India: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in China, $120 in India. Capital cities: $959 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $864 in China, $408 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 145% higher in China.

Dining out costs 110% more in China.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 112% higher 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $853 per month in China and $529 in India, there's a 61% 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 India: 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 India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $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: India wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.