Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Myanmar Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Myanmar

Name: Myanmar
Address: MM

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $307 in Myanmar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $532 in Myanmar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $757 in Myanmar.

Living in China is roughly 132% more expensive than Myanmar on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Myanmar 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥18.98

$2.02 MMK 4,230

39.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$19.12 MMK 40.0K

21.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.87

$4.98 MMK 10.4K

0.60%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.38

$1.72 MMK 3,601

75.00%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.79 MMK 1,661

-43.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.69 MMK 1,438

-57.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.41

$0.99 MMK 2,062

-4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.87

$1.78 MMK 3,732

15.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.87

$1.70 MMK 3,565

3.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.98

$1.13 MMK 2,366

43.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$1.45 MMK 3,030

-34.48%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.55

$1.61 MMK 3,379

-3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$7.91 MMK 16.6K

65.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.17

$6.29 MMK 13.2K

-47.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.0

$7.88 MMK 16.5K

35.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$4.39 MMK 9,194

-59.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.42

$1.04 MMK 2,168

19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.12

$2.64 MMK 5,528

-43.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$2.53 MMK 5,304

-54.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.07

$2.14 MMK 4,478

-64.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$1.09 MMK 2,278

-21.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.00 MMK 2,096

-38.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.30 MMK 636

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.76

$1.66 MMK 3,473

111.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$9.86 MMK 20.6K

18.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$0.91 MMK 1,899

-12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.25

$1.50 MMK 3,146

10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.23 MMK 481

86.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$9.61 MMK 20.1K

117.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.26

$1.22 MMK 2,558

12.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$0.98 MMK 2,054

-64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.82

$3.18 MMK 6,649

108.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$9.30 MMK 19.5K

-87.74%

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

$19.2K ¥129.7K

$34.7K MMK 72.7M

-44.75%

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

$16.8K ¥113.4K

$36.9K MMK 77.2M

-54.51%

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

$51.2 ¥346

$59.5 MMK 124.6K

-14.04%

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

$10.16 ¥68.7

$10.70 MMK 22.4K

-5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$28.90 MMK 60.5K

-60.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$53.2 MMK 111.3K

-23.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$9.78 MMK 20.5K

53.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.26

$2.58 MMK 5,399

136.43%

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

$402 ¥2,719

$342 MMK 715.5K

17.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.5K

$11.0K MMK 23.0M

61.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$42.33 MMK 88.6K

7.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$57.2 MMK 119.8K

-41.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$76.8 MMK 160.8K

-5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$120 MMK 251.6K

-38.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,903

$489 MMK 1.0M

-12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,739

$207 MMK 433.5K

24.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,055

$1,047 MMK 2.2M

-14.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,660

$788 MMK 1.6M

-31.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$1,821 MMK 3.8M

175.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$370 MMK 773.7K

567.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,132

$262 MMK 548.4K

302.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

-63.09%

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

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Last update for Myanmar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $861 in China, $241 in Myanmar. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 109% higher in China.

Dining out costs 200% more in China.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 257% higher in China, 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 Myanmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $414 in Myanmar, there's a 109% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Myanmar 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 China beats Myanmar across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Myanmar, $1,200 covers most cities easily. In China, 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. Myanmar wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.