Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and India

Name: India
Address: IN

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $391 a month against $793 in China, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

🇮🇳 India

$391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in India

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in China versus $391 in India.

China $793
India $391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in China versus $620 in India.

China $1,261
India $620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,730 in China versus $849 in India.

China $1,730
India $849

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $466 to $1,244, compared to $228–$812 in India. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China is roughly 103% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 41% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.76

$2.14 ₹203

38.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 ¥152

$10.52 ₹999

116.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.70

$3.58 ₹340

49.16%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.35

$1.67 ₹158

82.04%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$0.37 ₹35.48

29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$0.15 ₹14.18

86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.92

$1.84 ₹175

-44.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$3.07 ₹292

-26.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.02

$0.62 ₹58.8

190.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$0.49 ₹46.73

244.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.69

$0.63 ₹60.1

58.73%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$0.96 ₹90.7

62.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.8

$4.71 ₹447

185.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.28

$2.92 ₹277

19.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 ¥76.8

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$1.98 ₹188

-9.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.41

$0.68 ₹64.4

85.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.92

$1.02 ₹97.2

45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$0.46 ₹43.78

184.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$0.34 ₹32.20

111.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$0.41 ₹39.00

126.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$0.43 ₹40.66

41.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.31 ₹29.73

87.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.65

$4.89 ₹464

-21.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.4

$7.25 ₹688

63.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.72

$1.71 ₹162

-49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.33

$2.74 ₹260

-38.32%

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

$5.25 ₹499

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.27 ₹25.86

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 ¥150

$8.39 ₹797

166.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.03 ₹97.8

42.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.53

$0.25 ₹23.49

52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ¥47.04

$1.60 ₹152

339.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$1.13 ₹107

9.73%

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

$19.2K ¥128.5K

$12.6K ₹1.2M

52.09%

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

$17.3K ¥115.6K

$20.1K ₹1.9M

-13.96%

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

$54.3 ¥363

$37.55 ₹3,566

44.58%

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

$8.34 ¥55.7

$3.47 ₹330

140.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.77 ¥72.0

$7.15 ₹679

50.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 ¥270

$14.58 ₹1,385

177.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 ¥98.8

$7.21 ₹684

104.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 ¥46.08

$3.18 ₹302

116.67%

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

$457 ¥3,057

$56.8 ₹5,391

705.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K ¥134.2K

$1,651 ₹156.7K

1115.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.10 ¥302

$22.55 ₹2,141

100.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 ¥238

$24.54 ₹2,330

45.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ¥521

$39.69 ₹3,769

96.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 ¥522

$29.84 ₹2,833

161.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ¥2,615

$141 ₹13.4K

177.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,549

$89.7 ₹8,515

158.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ¥5,457

$325 ₹30.9K

151.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥3,070

$207 ₹19.7K

121.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,585 ¥30.7K

$1,214 ₹115.3K

277.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,309 ¥15.4K

$638 ₹60.6K

261.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,247

$434 ₹41.2K

149.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

8.92

-61.21%

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

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Last update for India: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.2%

India

$90 23% 61.3% $142

Groceries & Markets

China

$211 26.6%

India

$102 26.2% 51.5% $109

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

India

$52 13.4% 50.7% $54

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

India

$65 16.7% 26.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$73 9.3%

India

$48 12.3% 34.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.8%

India

$21 5.4% 61.3% $33

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

India

$12 3% 56.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $119 in India. Capital cities: $940 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $267 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $871 in China, $411 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 150% higher in China.

Dining out costs 110% more in China.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 112% higher in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇮🇳 India

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

05:49 5:49 AM

2 h 30 min behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

1,326,093,247

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

China India 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

China
India

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $391 in India, there's a 103% 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 cheaper in India: 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 $298 in China and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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.