Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Liberia

Name: Liberia
Address: LR

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,263 in Liberia, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. The total is higher in Liberia despite lower rent and utilities.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Liberia
Learn more

Liberia Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇱🇷 Liberia

$1,263

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Liberia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $1,263 in Liberia.

China $791
Liberia $1,263

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,869 in Liberia.

China $1,251
Liberia $1,869

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $2,474 in Liberia.

China $1,711
Liberia $2,474

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $1,286–$1,286 in Liberia. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 37% less than in Liberia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Liberia 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

$7.42 LRD 1,256

-59.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$9.82 LRD 1,664

-47.05%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

$3.05 LRD 516

-2.62%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$1.96 LRD 332

-75.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$2.03 LRD 343

-85.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$2.06 LRD 348

-47.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

$2.98 LRD 505

-23.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$2.13 LRD 361

-15.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$1.83 LRD 309

-8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$5.17 LRD 876

-82.21%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$3.70 LRD 626

-56.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$7.55 LRD 1,279

77.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$11.86 LRD 2,009

-71.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$13.74 LRD 2,327

-17.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$1.62 LRD 273

12.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$8.37 LRD 1,417

-84.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$10.49 LRD 1,776

-85.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$10.93 LRD 1,851

-88.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$2.14 LRD 363

-66.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$10.56 LRD 1,788

-91.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$4.63 LRD 784

-86.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$1.98 LRD 336

-71.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$5.10 LRD 863

-25.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$6.84 LRD 1,159

77.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$2.52 LRD 426

-67.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$3.45 LRD 584

-51.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$2.92 LRD 495

-90.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$12.38 LRD 2,097

44.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$2.01 LRD 340

-25.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$1.84 LRD 311

-79.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.24

$24.51 LRD 4,151

-71.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$1.27 LRD 214

-0.79%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$19.7K LRD 3.3M

-1.15%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$15.3K LRD 2.6M

14.66%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$151 LRD 25.6K

-63.89%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$22.79 LRD 3,858

-61.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$180 LRD 30.5K

-93.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$63.6 LRD 10.8K

-35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$10.12 LRD 1,714

43.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$4.96 LRD 840

36.69%

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

$517 ¥3,438

$99.5 LRD 16.8K

419.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$990 LRD 167.7K

1900.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$25.49 LRD 4,317

82.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$32.57 LRD 5,515

9.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$54.0 LRD 9,151

42.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$93.8 LRD 15.9K

-14.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$247 LRD 41.8K

56.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$94.1 LRD 15.9K

149.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$659 LRD 111.6K

24.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$266 LRD 45.0K

70.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,274

$697 LRD 118.0K

56.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Liberia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Liberia

$94 7.5% 59.9% $140

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Liberia

$456 36.1% 117% $246

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Liberia

$93 7.3% 14% $15

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Liberia

$158 12.5% 78.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Liberia

$354 28% 376% $279

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Liberia

$73 5.8% 35.2% $19

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Liberia

$35 2.8% 57.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $250 in Liberia. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $250 in Monrovia.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $691 in Liberia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 19% higher in China.

Salaries are 26% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇱🇷 Liberia

🕒 Local time

20:10 8:10 PM

12:10 12:10 PM

8 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

5,214,030

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Liberian Dollar LRD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1,000 LRD = 5.91 USD

1,000 LRD = 5.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LRD, 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).

Liberian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 169 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.91 USD). 1 EUR = 188 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.31 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Liberia 12,560 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Liberia

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 Liberia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,263 in Liberia, there’s a 60% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability; Liberia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.