Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and the Marshall Islands

Name: Marshall Islands
Address: MH

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $2,120 in the Marshall Islands, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in the Marshall Islands
Learn more

Marshall Islands Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in the Marshall Islands

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 the Marshall Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in China versus $2,120 in the Marshall Islands.

China $789
Marshall Islands $2,120

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in China versus $2,950 in the Marshall Islands.

China $1,254
Marshall Islands $2,950

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in China versus $3,781 in the Marshall Islands.

China $1,720
Marshall Islands $3,781

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $468 to $1,246, compared to $2,118–$2,118 in the Marshall Islands. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 63% less than in the Marshall Islands on average.

China (42% below) and the Marshall Islands (57% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.25

$7.69 $7.69

-60.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.12 ¥147

$30.02 $30.02

-26.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.75

$10.52 $10.52

-48.95%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.53

$4.44 $4.44

-34.01%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$1.87 $1.87

-74.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$3.03 $3.03

-90.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.15

$4.38 $4.38

-75.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.69

$4.88 $4.88

-54.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$2.21 $2.21

-18.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.76

$3.34 $3.34

-51.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.58

$1.82 $1.82

-45.60%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.80

$5.05 $5.05

-67.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.5

$31.38 $31.38

-57.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥23.04

$11.15 $11.15

-68.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.2

$18.54 $18.54

-39.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.60

$4.29 $4.29

-55.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.72

$7.38 $7.38

-82.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.97

$8.92 $8.92

-83.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.90

$12.79 $12.79

-89.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.77

$5.35 $5.35

-86.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$5.65 $5.65

-83.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$3.83 $3.83

-83.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$1.80 $1.80

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥25.43

$6.13 $6.13

-37.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 ¥81.1

$10.03 $10.03

21.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.96

$2.39 $2.39

-30.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$2.97 $2.97

-90.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.22

$2.73 $2.73

-43.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ¥44.58

$5.14 $5.14

30.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.50

$1.83 $1.83

-30.05%

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

$19.7K ¥131.5K

$25.0K $25.0K

-20.89%

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

$17.5K ¥116.3K

$35.6K $35.6K

-50.97%

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

$55.3 ¥368

$249 $249

-77.80%

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

$8.32 ¥55.4

$37.49 $37.49

-77.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 ¥74.1

$70.6 $70.6

-84.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 ¥264

$36.82 $36.82

7.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ¥44.27

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

$514 ¥3,425

$151 $151

241.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K ¥232.5K

$2,596 $2,596

1244.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.85 ¥305

$70.2 $70.2

-34.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.41 ¥236

$40.09 $40.09

-11.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥506

$29.68 $29.68

156.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ¥533

$49.47 $49.47

61.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,528

$782 $782

-51.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,543

$885 $885

-73.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ¥5,565

$1,372 $1,372

-39.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥3,075

$1,253 $1,253

-63.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 ¥31.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 ¥15.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 ¥7,437

$1,008 $1,008

10.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

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

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Last update for the Marshall Islands: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.4%

Marshall Islands

$885 41.8% 282% $654

Groceries & Markets

China

$212 26.8%

Marshall Islands

$543 * 25.6% 157% $331

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.5%

Marshall Islands

$85 4% 20.2% $22

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Marshall Islands

$198 9.3% 123% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.5%

Marshall Islands

$357 16.9% 378% $283

Sport & Entertainment

China

$53 6.7%

Marshall Islands

$37 * 1.7% 30.5% $16

Getting Around

China

$23 2.9%

Marshall Islands

$15 * 0.7% 35.5% $8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $787 in the Marshall Islands. Capital cities: $942 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $787 in Majuro.

National salary averages: $881 in China, $1,011 in the Marshall Islands. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 164% higher in the Marshall Islands.

Dining out costs 36% more in the Marshall Islands.

Salaries are 15% higher in the Marshall Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

02:01 2:01 AM

4 h ahead of China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

53,127

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

China Marshall Islands 6,550 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Marshall Islands

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 Marshall Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $789 per month in China and $2,120 in the Marshall Islands, China comes out about 63% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $787 in the Marshall Islands and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.