Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Nigeria Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Nigeria

Name: Nigeria
Address: NG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $526 in Nigeria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in China versus $875 in Nigeria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in China versus $1,223 in Nigeria.

Living in China is roughly 35% more expensive than Nigeria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Nigeria 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.31

$1.95 ₦2,644

38.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ¥157

$33.06 ₦44.8K

-29.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥33.78

$5.25 ₦7,114

-4.76%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.84

$2.11 ₦2,861

45.97%

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

$0.48 ¥3.24

$0.36 ₦494

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.23 ₦310

26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ¥6.73

$0.92 ₦1,247

8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥14.21

$1.31 ₦1,774

60.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.80

$2.74 ₦3,710

-36.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.25

$1.20 ₦1,629

39.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.67

$2.38 ₦3,229

-58.40%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.60

$1.83 ₦2,478

-14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$5.21 ₦7,056

150.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.38

$4.52 ₦6,131

-26.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 ¥73.1

$4.37 ₦5,927

147.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.01

$3.41 ₦4,628

-47.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.39

$2.05 ₦2,773

-39.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.17

$1.73 ₦2,346

-13.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.11

$1.82 ₦2,473

-34.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.16

$2.02 ₦2,742

-62.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.20

$1.82 ₦2,472

-49.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.86 ₦1,170

-32.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.59

$0.50 ₦681

6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ¥23.28

$1.32 ₦1,788

161.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 ¥80.7

$2.60 ₦3,519

359.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.57

$0.91 ₦1,232

-9.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.15

$1.13 ₦1,527

46.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.53 ₦725

-18.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥140

$33.55 ₦45.5K

-38.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.32

$0.86 ₦1,162

60.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$1.65 ₦2,242

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 ¥45.50

$4.46 ₦6,040

51.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.64

$0.67 ₦908

68.66%

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

$19.6K ¥132.5K

$16.9K ₦22.9M

16.11%

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

$16.8K ¥113.5K

$22.2K ₦30.1M

-24.35%

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

$50.7 ¥343

$30.25 ₦41.0K

67.60%

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

$10.12 ¥68.4

$9.96 ₦13.5K

1.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 ¥77.2

$30.99 ₦42.0K

-63.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 ¥272

$31.39 ₦42.6K

28.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 ¥98.5

$8.65 ₦11.7K

68.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 ¥43.26

$6.51 ₦8,829

-1.69%

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

$417 ¥2,817

$75.9 ₦102.9K

449.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥116.5K

$1,599 ₦2.2M

978.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.55 ¥308

$18.08 ₦24.5K

151.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.26 ¥218

$26.77 ₦36.3K

20.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥493

$55.3 ₦74.9K

31.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ¥497

$56.1 ₦76.0K

31.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ¥2,925

$885 ₦1.2M

-51.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,765

$579 ₦785.0K

-54.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 ¥6,115

$2,227 ₦3.0M

-59.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ¥3,599

$1,219 ₦1.7M

-56.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,965 ¥33.5K

$2,626 ₦3.6M

89.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,518 ¥17.0K

$1,082 ₦1.5M

132.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,063 ¥7,181

$79.1 ₦107.2K

1243.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

16.33

-75.14%

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

Last update for China: June 15, 2026

Last update for Nigeria: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $374 in Nigeria. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,502 in Abuja.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $69.0 in Nigeria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in Nigeria.

Dining out costs 24% more in Nigeria.

Public transport is 157% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 1149% 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 Nigeria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $852 in Nigeria, there's a 1% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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

In Nigeria, $2,500 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. Nigeria wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.