Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Japan

Name: Japan
Address: JP

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $1,297 in Japan, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Japan
Learn more

Japan Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Japan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $1,297 in Japan.

China $800
Japan $1,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $1,998 in Japan.

China $1,266
Japan $1,998

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $2,699 in Japan.

China $1,731
Japan $2,699

China ($462–$1,256) and Japan ($724–$1,648) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in China costs about 38% less than in Japan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 41% lower, Japan 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$6.39 ¥1,010

-54.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$32.17 ¥5,082

-30.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$5.17 ¥816

3.09%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$3.07 ¥486

-0.98%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$1.16 ¥183

-58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.79 ¥125

-62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$3.24 ¥512

-66.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$3.70 ¥585

-38.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$1.48 ¥233

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$1.44 ¥228

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$4.77 ¥754

-79.25%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$2.09 ¥331

-25.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$11.54 ¥1,823

14.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$6.05 ¥956

-44.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$17.21 ¥2,718

-33.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$4.80 ¥758

-62.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$2.41 ¥380

-48.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$4.11 ¥649

-62.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$4.40 ¥695

-70.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$2.74 ¥433

-74.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$2.58 ¥408

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$1.26 ¥199

-48.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.82 ¥130

-28.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$3.99 ¥630

-5.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$7.35 ¥1,161

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.92 ¥303

-52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$2.59 ¥409

-37.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$1.40 ¥222

-77.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$58.4 ¥9,225

-61.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$3.68 ¥582

-58.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$3.21 ¥507

-88.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$19.82 ¥3,131

-63.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.06 ¥168

17.92%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

-10.48%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$15.8K ¥2.5M

8.46%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$151 ¥23.9K

-63.24%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$24.37 ¥3,851

-65.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$32.59 ¥5,149

-66.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$52.1 ¥8,228

-22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$18.37 ¥2,903

-19.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$12.39 ¥1,957

-45.44%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$529 ¥83.7K

-12.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$11.8K ¥1.9M

66.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$46.12 ¥7,287

0.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$29.36 ¥4,639

23.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$61.7 ¥9,750

23.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$77.2 ¥12.2K

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$565 ¥89.3K

-30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$389 ¥61.4K

-38.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$1,321 ¥208.8K

-37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$761 ¥120.3K

-38.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$5,415 ¥855.5K

-16.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$2,746 ¥433.8K

-16.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$2,068 ¥326.6K

-48.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

2.13

62.44%

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for Japan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30%

Japan

$389 30% 62.1% $149

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Japan

$308 23.7% 47.5% $99

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Japan

$96 7.4% 9.8% $10

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Japan

$135 10.4% 51.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Japan

$208 16% 178% $133

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Japan

$77 5.9% 42.6% $23

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Japan

$84 6.5% 206% $56

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $522 in Japan. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,288 in Tokyo.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $1,926 in Japan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 75% higher in Japan.

Dining out costs 57% more in Japan.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 121% higher in Japan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Japan.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇯🇵 Japan

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

10:22 10:22 AM

1 h ahead of China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

125,440,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Japan 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

China
Japan

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 Japan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $1,297 in Japan, there's a 62% 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 $522 in Japan and $299 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 Japan 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; Japan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.