Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Nigeria

Name: Nigeria
Address: NG

For one person, living costs are similar in China and in Nigeria: $784 and $756 a month, rent and utilities included.

39

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Nigeria
Learn more

Nigeria Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$784

/mo nomad

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Nigeria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in China versus $756 in Nigeria.

China $784
Nigeria $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,268 in China versus $1,285 in Nigeria.

China $1,268
Nigeria $1,285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,752 in China versus $1,813 in Nigeria.

China $1,752
Nigeria $1,813

Living in China is roughly 4% more expensive than in Nigeria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Nigeria 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ¥19.39

$1.84 ₦2,443

57.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.02 ¥147

$30.75 ₦40.8K

-28.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.74

$4.58 ₦6,079

13.54%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.31

$2.32 ₦3,085

31.03%

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

$0.52 ¥3.45

$0.36 ₦484

44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$0.22 ₦293

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.75

$0.76 ₦1,008

32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥14.64

$1.29 ₦1,707

69.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.71

$2.79 ₦3,700

-37.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.96

$1.02 ₦1,354

60.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$1.52 ₦2,024

-39.47%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.66

$1.62 ₦2,159

-1.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$5.91 ₦7,856

119.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.38

$4.28 ₦5,683

-21.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 ¥74.7

$3.86 ₦5,125

189.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.02

$2.39 ₦3,180

-24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.78

$1.35 ₦1,791

-2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.80

$1.27 ₦1,683

15.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 ¥8.79

$1.60 ₦2,131

-17.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.07

$1.62 ₦2,155

-53.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.37 ₦1,825

-32.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$0.62 ₦823

-4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.36 ₦481

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ¥25.34

$0.77 ₦1,023

392.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 ¥81.1

$3.91 ₦5,199

210.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.48

$0.68 ₦901

20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.92

$0.82 ₦1,087

98.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.37 ₦489

-21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.33 ¥149

$15.10 ₦20.1K

47.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$0.61 ₦813

150.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.31

$1.09 ₦1,442

-67.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.00 ¥46.79

$2.21 ₦2,931

216.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.77

$0.61 ₦815

114.75%

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

$19.0K ¥127.1K

$11.5K ₦15.3M

64.72%

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

$17.0K ¥113.7K

$16.6K ₦22.0M

2.56%

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

$54.1 ¥362

$70.7 ₦93.8K

-23.38%

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

$8.42 ¥56.3

$5.14 ₦6,827

63.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.72 ¥71.6

$22.46 ₦29.8K

-52.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.72 ¥272

$20.13 ₦26.7K

102.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.58 ¥97.4

$6.84 ₦9,083

113.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.15

$4.67 ₦6,208

44.75%

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

$462 ¥3,089

$63.6 ₦84.5K

627.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$4,258 ₦5.7M

360.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥305

$12.90 ₦17.1K

253.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.05 ¥241

$19.86 ₦26.4K

81.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$35.48 ₦47.1K

112.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 ¥528

$36.69 ₦48.7K

115.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,577

$496 ₦659.2K

-22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,601

$327 ₦433.9K

-26.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 ¥5,637

$1,499 ₦2.0M

-43.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥3,083

$840 ₦1.1M

-45.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,590 ¥30.7K

$2,614 ₦3.5M

75.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,279 ¥15.2K

$1,182 ₦1.6M

92.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 ¥7,082

$92.2 ₦122.5K

1049.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

17.83

-80.59%

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

Last update for China: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nigeria: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30.1%

Nigeria

$327 43.5% 36.3% $87

Groceries & Markets

China

$207 26.1%

Nigeria

$162 21.5% 21.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

China

$106 13.4%

Nigeria

$47 6.3% 55.5% $59

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Nigeria

$65 8.7% 26% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$73 9.2%

Nigeria

$98 13.1% 34.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.8%

Nigeria

$29 3.9% 45.6% $25

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Nigeria

$23 3% 15.5% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $297 in China, $277 in Nigeria. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $591 in Abuja.

National salary averages: $868 in China, $76.0 in Nigeria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in China.

Dining out costs 10% more in Nigeria.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 1042% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇳🇬 Nigeria

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

14:55 2:55 PM

7 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

211,400,708

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,328 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,489 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.72 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Nigeria 10,930 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Nigeria

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 Nigeria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $784 per month in China and $756 in Nigeria, there's a 4% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $297 in China and $277 in Nigeria. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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