Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and the Netherlands

Name: Netherlands
Address: NL

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $2,694 in the Netherlands, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in the Netherlands
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Netherlands Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in the Netherlands

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $2,694 in the Netherlands.

China $800
Netherlands $2,694

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $3,888 in the Netherlands.

China $1,266
Netherlands $3,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $5,081 in the Netherlands.

China $1,731
Netherlands $5,081

Internal cost variation is higher in the Netherlands: monthly costs span $1,207 to $3,496, compared to $462–$1,256 in China. City choice carries more weight in the Netherlands.

Living in China costs about 70% less than in the Netherlands on average.

China (41% below) and the Netherlands (99% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$22.27 €19.81

-86.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$89.0 €79.2

-74.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$13.79 €12.26

-61.35%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$4.16 €3.70

-26.92%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$3.60 €3.20

-86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$3.05 €2.72

-90.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$6.61 €5.88

-83.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$5.72 €5.09

-60.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$1.32 €1.17

32.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$2.25 €2.01

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$2.69 €2.39

-63.20%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$4.71 €4.19

-66.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$13.73 €12.21

-3.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$14.11 €12.55

-76.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$17.27 €15.36

-34.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$2.66 €2.36

-31.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$2.49 €2.21

-49.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$2.08 €1.85

-25.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$4.08 €3.63

-68.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$1.80 €1.60

-60.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$1.87 €1.67

-54.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$1.28 €1.14

-49.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.88 €0.78

-32.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$14.16 €12.59

-73.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$6.66 €5.92

76.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.50 €1.33

-39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$2.55 €2.27

-36.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$3.75 €3.34

-91.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$95.2 €84.7

-76.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$4.73 €4.21

-67.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$3.00 €2.67

-87.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$34.06 €30.30

-78.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$2.43 €2.16

-48.56%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$41.6K €37.0K

-53.42%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$38.8K €34.5K

-55.89%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$259 €230

-78.58%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$22.93 €20.39

-63.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$50.3 €44.74

-78.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$42.07 €37.42

-4.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$26.22 €23.33

-43.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$15.68 €13.94

-56.89%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$2,185 €1,944

-78.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$8,876 €7,896

121.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$94.7 €84.3

-51.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$42.95 €38.20

-15.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$102 €90.8

-25.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$132 €117

-40.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$1,648 €1,465

-75.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$1,314 €1,169

-81.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$2,547 €2,266

-67.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$1,985 €1,766

-76.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$6,600 €5,871

-31.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$4,779 €4,251

-52.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$3,787 €3,369

-71.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.87

-10.59%

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for the Netherlands: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30%

Netherlands

$1.3K 48.8% 448% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Netherlands

$337 12.5% 61.2% $128

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Netherlands

$167 6.2% 56.3% $60

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Netherlands

$341 12.6% 283% $252

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Netherlands

$332 12.3% 344% $257

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Netherlands

$73 2.7% 36.2% $20

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Netherlands

$130 4.8% 374% $103

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $1,410 in the Netherlands. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,654 in Amsterdam.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $3,603 in the Netherlands. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 372% higher in the Netherlands.

Dining out costs 305% more in the Netherlands.

Public transport is 406% more expensive in the Netherlands.

Salaries are 314% higher in the Netherlands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Netherlands.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

19:29 7:29 PM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

17,100,715

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Netherlands 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Netherlands

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 Netherlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $2,694 in the Netherlands, there's a 237% 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 cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,410 in the Netherlands and $299 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the Netherlands 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: China wins on affordability; the Netherlands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.