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: $1,131 in China versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $846 in India.

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

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

China ($532–$1,192) and India ($265–$913) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.35

$2.53 ₹244

13.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥159

$13.73 ₹1,321

70.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.75

$4.00 ₹385

21.00%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.06

$1.91 ₹184

62.83%

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

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.43 ₹41.85

2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.17 ₹16.11

70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.64

$1.93 ₹186

-49.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

$3.54 ₹341

-42.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.47

$0.73 ₹69.9

152.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$0.52 ₹50.1

211.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.28

$0.73 ₹69.9

27.40%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.03

$0.95 ₹91.4

71.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥89.0

$5.32 ₹512

147.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.09

$3.10 ₹299

5.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.9

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.19

$2.16 ₹208

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.77

$0.70 ₹67.7

85.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.90

$1.05 ₹101

39.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.15

$0.53 ₹50.8

126.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.14

$0.39 ₹37.65

94.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$0.48 ₹46.63

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$0.52 ₹49.78

9.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.36 ₹34.33

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.17

$4.02 ₹387

-14.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.5

$7.28 ₹701

61.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.90 ₹183

-57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.95

$3.03 ₹292

-46.53%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.36 ₹34.66

19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥139

$9.84 ₹948

108.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.24

$0.95 ₹91.8

43.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$0.30 ₹29.03

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.97

$1.79 ₹172

263.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$1.21 ₹117

-7.44%

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

$19.5K ¥131.8K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

40.56%

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

$16.9K ¥114.1K

$22.4K ₹2.2M

-24.87%

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

$51.7 ¥350

$40.16 ₹3,866

28.74%

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

$10.17 ¥68.8

$3.76 ₹362

170.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$8.04 ₹774

38.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$16.25 ₹1,565

143.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.3

$7.56 ₹728

92.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.19

$3.43 ₹330

86.01%

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

$407 ¥2,756

$69.7 ₹6,713

484.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

$1,852 ₹178.3K

863.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$25.59 ₹2,463

77.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥219

$26.30 ₹2,531

22.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$44.89 ₹4,321

61.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥504

$33.20 ₹3,196

124.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,996

$174 ₹16.8K

153.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,747

$112 ₹10.8K

129.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,162

$405 ₹38.9K

125.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,677

$258 ₹24.8K

110.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.4K

$1,263 ₹121.6K

290.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$653 ₹62.8K

267.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,205

$424 ₹40.8K

151.03%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $127 in India. Capital cities: $894 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $855 in China, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 126% higher in China.

Dining out costs 91% more in China.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 115% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 $862 per month in China and $589 in India, there's a 46% 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.