Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Montenegro Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Montenegro

Name: Montenegro
Address: ME

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $1,396 in Montenegro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $2,130 in Montenegro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $2,864 in Montenegro.

Living in China costs about 49% less than in Montenegro on average.

China (47% below) and Montenegro (4% above) straddle the global median.

China ($532–$1,187) and Montenegro ($957–$1,705) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ¥18.83

$11.36 €9.70

-75.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.07 ¥165

$47.20 €40.31

-49.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥33.15

$9.38 €8.01

-48.40%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥20.32

$2.40 €2.05

23.75%

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

$0.45 ¥3.05

$2.33 €1.99

-80.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥2.01

$1.50 €1.28

-80.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ¥6.86

$2.86 €2.44

-65.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥14.13

$3.49 €2.98

-40.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.48

$1.36 €1.16

33.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥11.09

$0.99 €0.84

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.21

$2.23 €1.90

-59.19%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.57

$3.14 €2.68

-50.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 ¥91.3

$8.74 €7.46

52.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ¥22.41

$7.97 €6.81

-58.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ¥72.3

$11.64 €9.94

-9.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 ¥12.03

$1.39 €1.18

26.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.92

$1.74 €1.48

-25.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.94

$1.57 €1.34

-7.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ¥8.17

$2.67 €2.28

-55.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.84

$1.00 €0.86

-29.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.24

$1.14 €0.97

-20.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.89

$1.62 €1.39

-64.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.66

$0.89 €0.76

-40.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ¥24.01

$4.08 €3.48

-14.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 ¥81.2

$5.76 €4.92

105.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.72

$1.12 €0.96

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.51

$1.78 €1.52

-5.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.00

$1.14 €0.97

-61.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.76 ¥142

$35.06 €29.94

-40.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.29

$1.19 €1.02

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.43

$1.03 €0.88

-66.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 ¥45.53

$13.71 €11.71

-51.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥8.00

$1.76 €1.50

-33.52%

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

$19.1K ¥131.0K

$30.8K €26.3K

-37.94%

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

$17.1K ¥117.4K

$31.0K €26.5K

-44.75%

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

$52.0 ¥356

$129 €111

-59.85%

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

$9.65 ¥66.1

$18.15 €15.50

-46.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥76.4

$31.53 €26.92

-64.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.48 ¥277

$44.67 €38.15

-9.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.75 ¥101

$13.57 €11.59

8.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.35 ¥43.51

$5.82 €4.97

9.11%

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

$410 ¥2,807

$324 €277

26.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥122.0K

$8,966 €7,657

98.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.08 ¥316

$83.3 €71.1

-44.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.86 ¥225

$39.98 €34.14

-17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ¥488

$99.4 €84.9

-28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 ¥516

$117 €99.5

-35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ¥2,946

$698 €596

-38.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,787

$515 €440

-49.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 ¥6,263

$1,193 €1,019

-23.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 ¥3,716

$915 €781

-40.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,177 ¥35.5K

$3,055 €2,609

69.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,630 ¥18.0K

$2,346 €2,004

12.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 ¥7,260

$1,058 €903

0.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.66

-28.27%

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

Last update for China: April 21, 2026

Last update for Montenegro: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $686 in Montenegro. Capital cities: $891 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $630 in Podgorica.

National salary averages: $833 in China, $944 in Montenegro. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 139% higher in Montenegro.

Dining out costs 129% more in Montenegro.

Public transport is 111% more expensive in Montenegro.

Salaries are 13% higher in Montenegro, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 Montenegro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $860 per month in China and $1,331 in Montenegro, there's a 55% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 Montenegro beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Montenegro, it works in regional areas but 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; Montenegro may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.