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: $712 in China versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $846 in India.

Living in China is roughly 84% more expensive than India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, India 71% lower.

China ($520–$1,209) and India ($264–$888) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥19.00

$2.49 ₹238

12.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$14.20 ₹1,359

64.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.91

$3.98 ₹381

25.88%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.41

$1.88 ₹180

60.11%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.44 ₹42.18

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.19 ₹18.65

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$2.02 ₹193

-52.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.89

$3.45 ₹331

-40.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.89

$0.72 ₹68.6

144.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.99

$0.52 ₹49.49

211.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.46

$0.72 ₹69.0

31.94%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.56

$0.93 ₹89.2

67.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.4

$5.24 ₹502

149.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.19

$3.07 ₹293

6.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.1

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.04

$2.17 ₹208

-17.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.43

$0.76 ₹72.5

63.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.13

$1.05 ₹100

42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.80

$0.53 ₹50.9

116.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.08

$0.39 ₹37.71

92.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.82

$0.49 ₹47.02

75.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.52 ₹49.58

19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.33 ₹31.27

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.79

$4.05 ₹388

-13.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$7.39 ₹707

57.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.84 ₹176

-56.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.26

$2.90 ₹278

-42.76%

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

$5.65 ₹541

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.36 ₹34.75

19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$9.74 ₹932

114.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.27

$0.95 ₹91.0

44.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$0.30 ₹28.77

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.87

$1.73 ₹165

283.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$1.23 ₹117

-7.32%

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

$19.2K ¥129.8K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

38.46%

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

$16.8K ¥113.5K

$22.6K ₹2.2M

-25.83%

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

$51.2 ¥346

$40.88 ₹3,912

25.17%

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

$10.16 ¥68.8

$3.91 ₹374

159.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$7.81 ₹747

47.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$16.15 ₹1,545

150.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$7.49 ₹717

100.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.30

$3.42 ₹328

78.36%

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

$402 ¥2,722

$69.9 ₹6,691

475.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.6K

$1,793 ₹171.6K

885.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$25.83 ₹2,472

76.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$26.61 ₹2,547

24.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$45.24 ₹4,329

60.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥504

$33.68 ₹3,223

121.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,906

$178 ₹17.0K

141.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,741

$115 ₹11.0K

124.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,061

$407 ₹38.9K

120.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,664

$264 ₹25.2K

105.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$1,240 ₹118.6K

304.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$631 ₹60.4K

291.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,139

$432 ₹41.3K

144.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

9.02

-54.99%

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

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $127 in India. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 125% higher in China.

Dining out costs 91% more in China.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 116% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $576 in India, there's a 50% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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