Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Peru

Name: Peru
Address: PE

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $878 in Peru, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Peru
Learn more

Peru Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇵🇪 Peru

$878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Peru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $878 in Peru.

China $791
Peru $878

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,380 in Peru.

China $1,251
Peru $1,380

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $1,883 in Peru.

China $1,711
Peru $1,883

Internal cost variation is higher in Peru: monthly costs span $20 to $1,108, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Peru.

Living in China costs about 10% less than in Peru on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Peru 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.76

$3.51 PEN 12.16

-15.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$27.65 PEN 95.9

-20.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.51

$6.21 PEN 21.51

-16.26%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.68

$3.15 PEN 10.92

-5.71%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$0.96 PEN 3.31

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.00

$0.51 PEN 1.78

-41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.16

$2.28 PEN 7.90

-52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.11

$3.56 PEN 12.33

-35.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.93

$1.47 PEN 5.09

22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.12

$2.30 PEN 7.97

-26.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$1.38 PEN 4.77

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.70

$2.63 PEN 9.12

-38.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥88.8

$8.28 PEN 28.72

61.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.22

$5.71 PEN 19.79

-41.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.3

$9.04 PEN 31.34

25.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.09

$1.77 PEN 6.15

2.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.67

$1.09 PEN 3.78

20.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.86

$1.31 PEN 4.53

13.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.45

$1.21 PEN 4.21

4.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$0.89 PEN 3.08

-20.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.86 PEN 2.97

8.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$0.77 PEN 2.67

-19.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.84 PEN 2.92

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.08

$5.63 PEN 19.50

-32.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.5

$7.65 PEN 26.53

58.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.52

$1.99 PEN 6.91

-58.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.18

$3.02 PEN 10.48

-44.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.61 PEN 2.10

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥118

$27.39 PEN 94.9

-34.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.87

$2.34 PEN 8.10

-36.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$2.05 PEN 7.11

-81.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.11

$7.01 PEN 24.30

1.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.35

$1.64 PEN 5.69

-23.17%

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

$19.4K ¥129.1K

$22.1K PEN 76.7K

-12.10%

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

$17.5K ¥116.4K

$27.6K PEN 95.8K

-36.57%

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

$54.6 ¥362

$54.9 PEN 190

-0.62%

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

$8.73 ¥58.0

$13.37 PEN 46.34

-34.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.5

$25.55 PEN 88.6

-56.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$31.24 PEN 108

30.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.1

$16.62 PEN 57.6

-12.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.00

$5.93 PEN 20.56

14.33%

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

$517 ¥3,429

$207 PEN 719

149.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.5K

$11.2K PEN 38.7K

77.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$49.87 PEN 173

-6.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$30.02 PEN 104

18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥511

$72.2 PEN 250

6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥533

$71.1 PEN 246

12.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,560

$514 PEN 1,782

-24.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,557

$279 PEN 967

-15.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,454

$899 PEN 3,118

-8.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,007

$536 PEN 1,856

-15.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$2,247 PEN 7,788

109.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.7K

$1,310 PEN 4,542

80.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,255

$575 PEN 1,993

90.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

9.66

-64.18%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Peru: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Peru

$279 31.8% 19% $45

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Peru

$210 23.9% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Peru

$100 11.4% 6.8% $7.3

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Peru

$109 12.4% 23.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Peru

$94 10.7% 26.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Peru

$43 4.9% 20.7% $11

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Peru

$42 4.8% 89.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $339 in Peru. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $734 in Lima.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $522 in Peru. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in Peru.

Dining out costs 23% more in Peru.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Peru.

Salaries are 67% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇵🇪 Peru

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

16:59 4:59 PM

13 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

33,726,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 PEN = 0.288 USD

1 PEN = 0.257 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.47 PEN (1 PEN = 0.288 USD). 1 EUR = 3.89 PEN (1 PEN = 0.257 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China Peru 16,650 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Peru

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 Peru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $878 in Peru, China comes out about 10% cheaper. 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 $339 in Peru and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.