Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Israel

Name: Israel
Address: IL

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $2,919 in Israel, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Israel
Learn more

Israel Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,919

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Israel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $2,919 in Israel.

China $791
Israel $2,919

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $4,332 in Israel.

China $1,251
Israel $4,332

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $5,746 in Israel.

China $1,711
Israel $5,746

Internal cost variation is higher in Israel: monthly costs span $1,570 to $3,698, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Israel.

Living in China costs about 73% less than in Israel on average.

China (42% below) and Israel (114% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

$26.13 ₪81.4

-88.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$96.9 ₪302

-77.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$19.30 ₪60.1

-73.06%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

$5.11 ₪15.90

-41.88%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$3.65 ₪11.37

-86.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$3.02 ₪9.39

-90.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$10.32 ₪32.14

-89.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

$10.01 ₪31.18

-77.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$2.42 ₪7.54

-25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$3.28 ₪10.21

-48.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$3.36 ₪10.45

-72.62%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$4.87 ₪15.17

-66.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$18.87 ₪58.8

-29.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$14.37 ₪44.76

-76.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$25.66 ₪79.9

-55.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$4.39 ₪13.69

-58.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$3.29 ₪10.26

-60.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$2.52 ₪7.86

-40.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$2.94 ₪9.16

-56.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$1.83 ₪5.70

-61.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.66 ₪5.17

-43.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$2.61 ₪8.13

-76.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$1.89 ₪5.90

-70.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$13.73 ₪42.75

-72.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$15.40 ₪47.97

-21.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$3.32 ₪10.34

-75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$3.73 ₪11.61

-54.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$2.62 ₪8.15

-88.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$103 ₪321

-82.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$4.35 ₪13.56

-65.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$1.23 ₪3.84

-69.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.24

$30.82 ₪96.0

-76.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$2.60 ₪8.11

-51.54%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$58.0K ₪180.6K

-66.46%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$55.8K ₪173.8K

-68.56%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$323 ₪1,007

-83.13%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$12.00 ₪37.38

-27.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$42.32 ₪132

-73.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$76.4 ₪238

-46.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$21.93 ₪68.3

-33.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$15.93 ₪49.60

-57.44%

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

$517 ¥3,438

$1,368 ₪4,262

-62.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$29.6K ₪92.2K

-33.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$109 ₪339

-57.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$82.9 ₪258

-56.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$147 ₪459

-47.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$169 ₪525

-52.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$1,558 ₪4,853

-75.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$1,195 ₪3,722

-80.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$2,575 ₪8,021

-68.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$1,960 ₪6,104

-76.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$10.5K ₪32.7K

-55.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$7,428 ₪23.1K

-68.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,274

$3,680 ₪11.5K

-70.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.09

-32.02%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Israel: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Israel

$1.2K 40.9% 410% $961

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Israel

$459 15.7% 118% $249

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Israel

$229 7.8% 112% $121

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Israel

$426 14.6% 384% $338

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Israel

$378 12.9% 408% $303

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Israel

$108 3.7% 99.2% $54

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Israel

$124 4.3% 456% $102

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $1,536 in Israel. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,915 in Jerusalem.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $3,514 in Israel. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 415% higher in Israel.

Dining out costs 341% more in Israel.

Public transport is 444% more expensive in Israel.

Salaries are about 4 times higher in Israel, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Israel.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇮🇱 Israel

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

20:47 8:47 PM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

9,840,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.288 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.47 ILS (1 ILS = 0.288 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

China Israel 7,120 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

China
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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 Israel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $2,919 in Israel, there’s a 269% 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 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 $1,536 in Israel and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Israel 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: China wins on affordability; Israel may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.