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: $719 in China versus $266 in Myanmar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,147 in China versus $447 in Myanmar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $627 in Myanmar.

Living in China is roughly 170% more expensive than in Myanmar on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Myanmar 81% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.58

$1.98 MMK 4,146

47.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.23 ¥149

$18.10 MMK 37.9K

22.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥34.34

$5.13 MMK 10.7K

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.03

$1.48 MMK 3,098

102.03%

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

$0.52 ¥3.50

$0.78 MMK 1,638

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.70 MMK 1,464

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.04

$1.01 MMK 2,124

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.17

$1.73 MMK 3,616

30.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.11

$1.74 MMK 3,648

4.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$1.34 MMK 2,801

25.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.05

$1.80 MMK 3,776

-50.00%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.43

$2.16 MMK 4,516

-27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 ¥88.7

$8.37 MMK 17.5K

58.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ¥23.40

$4.76 MMK 9,967

-26.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.2

$6.64 MMK 13.9K

69.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.43

$4.97 MMK 10.4K

-62.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$1.02 MMK 2,134

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.22

$3.11 MMK 6,518

-50.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.45

$2.55 MMK 5,339

-50.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$2.22 MMK 4,654

-67.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$1.36 MMK 2,853

-35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.33

$1.05 MMK 2,192

-38.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.47 MMK 987

23.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.84

$1.67 MMK 3,487

122.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥79.0

$9.74 MMK 20.4K

21.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

$0.90 MMK 1,893

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.19

$1.30 MMK 2,716

28.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.28 MMK 593

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 ¥152

$10.04 MMK 21.0K

125.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.07

$1.12 MMK 2,340

33.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.32

$0.98 MMK 2,047

-64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.84

$2.92 MMK 6,119

149.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$8.36 MMK 17.5K

-85.41%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$34.5K MMK 72.3M

-45.01%

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

$17.4K ¥116.2K

$35.2K MMK 73.7M

-50.74%

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

$54.0 ¥362

$53.6 MMK 112.2K

0.73%

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

$8.41 ¥56.4

$9.94 MMK 20.8K

-15.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.82 ¥72.5

$20.34 MMK 42.6K

-46.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.41 ¥271

$56.6 MMK 118.5K

-28.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 ¥98.0

$5.86 MMK 12.3K

149.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ¥44.18

$2.38 MMK 4,988

177.31%

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

$452 ¥3,025

$508 MMK 1.1M

-11.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ¥128.9K

$14.4K MMK 30.1M

33.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 ¥296

$57.7 MMK 120.7K

-23.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 ¥238

$40.94 MMK 85.7K

-13.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥500

$93.5 MMK 195.7K

-20.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 ¥527

$93.3 MMK 195.3K

-15.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ¥2,642

$371 MMK 777.0K

6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ¥1,630

$197 MMK 412.6K

23.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,660

$976 MMK 2.0M

-13.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥3,221

$575 MMK 1.2M

-16.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,609 ¥30.9K

$1,830 MMK 3.8M

151.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 ¥15.6K

$371 MMK 777.1K

527.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 ¥7,100

$268 MMK 561.6K

295.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

11.5

-69.83%

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

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Last update for Myanmar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $867 in China, $238 in Myanmar. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 143% higher in China.

Dining out costs 320% more in China.

Public transport is 1600% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 264% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $837 per month in China and $504 in Myanmar, there's a 66% 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 simply cheaper in Myanmar: 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 is consistently higher than in 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, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in China 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: Myanmar wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.