Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Palau

Name: Palau
Address: PW

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $1,976 in Palau, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Palau
Learn more

Palau Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇵🇼 Palau

$1,976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Palau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $1,976 in Palau.

China $800
Palau $1,976

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $3,045 in Palau.

China $1,266
Palau $3,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $4,113 in Palau.

China $1,731
Palau $4,113

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $462 to $1,256, compared to $1,821–$1,821 in Palau. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 59% less than in Palau on average.

China (41% below) and Palau (46% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$13.36 $13.36

-78.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$74.7 $74.7

-69.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$9.96 $9.96

-46.49%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$4.06 $4.06

-25.12%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$1.39 $1.39

-65.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$1.05 $1.05

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$1.53 $1.53

-30.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$2.15 $2.15

5.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$2.67 $2.67

-34.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$3.08 $3.08

-47.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$0.24 $0.24

312.50%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$6.48 $6.48

-75.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$9.98 $9.98

32.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$13.86 $13.86

-75.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$19.21 $19.21

-40.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$5.22 $5.22

-65.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$2.23 $2.23

-43.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$5.52 $5.52

-71.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$16.48 $16.48

-92.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$4.70 $4.70

-84.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$3.39 $3.39

-74.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$2.03 $2.03

-67.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$1.72 $1.72

-65.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$15.20 $15.20

-75.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$22.80 $22.80

-48.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$3.41 $3.41

-73.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$3.41 $3.41

-52.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$2.43 $2.43

-37.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$6.14 $6.14

18.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.90 $1.90

-34.21%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$17.2K $17.2K

12.95%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$15.0K $15.0K

14.20%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$170 $170

-67.29%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$51.6 $51.6

-83.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$199 $199

-94.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$81.3 $81.3

-50.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

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

$465 ¥3,108

$250 $250

85.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$85.4 $85.4

-45.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$66.0 $66.0

-44.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$191 $191

-60.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$196 $196

-59.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$719 $719

-44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$519 $519

-53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$2,111 $2,111

-61.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$968 $968

-51.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$774 $774

38.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for Palau: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30%

Palau

$519 26.3% 116% $279

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Palau

$504 25.5% 142% $296

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Palau

$242 12.3% 127% $135

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Palau

$207 10.5% 133% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Palau

$420 21.3% 462% $345

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Palau

$81 * 4.1% 50.8% $27

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Palau

$2.4 * 0.1% 91.1% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $870 in China, $793 in Palau. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 140% higher in Palau.

Dining out costs 252% more in Palau.

Salaries are 10% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇵🇼 Palau

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

11:27 11:27 AM

1 h ahead of China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

21,729

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Palau 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Palau

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 Palau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $1,976 in Palau, there's a 147% 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 $719 in Palau 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 Palau 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; Palau may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.