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: $711 in China versus $526 in Nigeria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $878 in Nigeria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $1,229 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

$2.75 ¥18.83

$2.02 ₦2,781

36.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 ¥165

$33.24 ₦45.8K

-27.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥33.95

$5.35 ₦7,361

-7.29%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥21.37

$2.12 ₦2,912

47.17%

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

$0.48 ¥3.26

$0.37 ₦507

29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.84

$0.25 ₦346

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.73

$0.92 ₦1,265

6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.69

$1.25 ₦1,714

72.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.53

$2.68 ₦3,687

-31.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.54

$1.20 ₦1,657

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.21

$2.27 ₦3,126

-59.91%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.66

$1.82 ₦2,507

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ¥88.9

$5.16 ₦7,109

151.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 ¥22.23

$4.50 ₦6,193

-27.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 ¥72.0

$4.55 ₦6,263

130.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.41

$3.42 ₦4,709

-47.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.90

$1.97 ₦2,713

-34.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.26

$1.65 ₦2,275

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.87

$1.89 ₦2,602

-39.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.20

$2.03 ₦2,792

-62.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥6.07

$1.84 ₦2,538

-51.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.97

$0.83 ₦1,142

-30.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.95

$0.49 ₦680

18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ¥23.95

$1.26 ₦1,738

177.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ¥79.1

$4.10 ₦5,651

181.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.31

$0.87 ₦1,200

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥11.03

$1.10 ₦1,509

46.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.01

$0.57 ₦780

-22.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.15 ¥145

$34.03 ₦46.9K

-37.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.35

$0.86 ₦1,178

58.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.44

$1.65 ₦2,270

-78.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ¥45.28

$4.22 ₦5,812

56.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.74

$0.67 ₦929

68.66%

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

$19.7K ¥135.2K

$16.4K ₦22.6M

20.41%

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

$17.1K ¥117.0K

$22.1K ₦30.5M

-22.79%

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

$50.9 ¥349

$30.06 ₦41.4K

69.36%

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

$10.03 ¥68.7

$9.73 ₦13.4K

3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥77.6

$31.24 ₦43.0K

-63.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.13 ¥275

$31.85 ₦43.9K

26.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 ¥103

$8.44 ₦11.6K

77.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥41.74

$6.53 ₦8,986

-6.74%

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

$418 ¥2,860

$73.7 ₦101.5K

466.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ¥118.2K

$1,601 ₦2.2M

978.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.40 ¥318

$17.74 ₦24.4K

161.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.92 ¥226

$26.87 ₦37.0K

22.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ¥487

$54.5 ₦75.1K

30.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥499

$56.9 ₦78.3K

28.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ¥3,003

$890 ₦1.2M

-50.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ¥1,775

$571 ₦786.5K

-54.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 ¥6,341

$2,223 ₦3.1M

-58.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ¥3,754

$1,181 ₦1.6M

-53.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,047 ¥34.6K

$2,665 ₦3.7M

89.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,666 ¥18.3K

$1,481 ₦2.0M

80.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,074 ¥7,357

$114 ₦157.4K

839.25%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Nigeria: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $374 in Nigeria. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,487 in Abuja.

National salary averages: $834 in China, $93.0 in Nigeria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in Nigeria.

Dining out costs 24% more in Nigeria.

Public transport is 157% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 797% 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 $873 per month in China and $844 in Nigeria, there's a 3% 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.