Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and the Republic of the Congo

Name: Republic of the Congo
Address: CG

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,657 in the Republic of the Congo, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in the Republic of the Congo
Learn more

Republic of the Congo Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

$1,657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in the Republic of the Congo

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 the Republic of the Congo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $1,657 in the Republic of the Congo.

China $791
Republic of the Congo $1,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $2,576 in the Republic of the Congo.

China $1,251
Republic of the Congo $2,576

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $3,496 in the Republic of the Congo.

China $1,711
Republic of the Congo $3,496

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $1,944–$1,944 in the Republic of the Congo. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 52% less than in the Republic of the Congo on average.

China (42% below) and the Republic of the Congo (22% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

$8.32 FCFA 4,886

-64.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$37.70 FCFA 22.1K

-41.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$5.07 FCFA 2,977

2.56%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

$4.09 FCFA 2,401

-27.38%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$1.60 FCFA 940

-70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$1.31 FCFA 767

-77.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$5.76 FCFA 3,385

-81.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

$2.49 FCFA 1,461

-8.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$2.59 FCFA 1,523

-30.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$4.64 FCFA 2,725

-63.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$3.14 FCFA 1,846

-70.70%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$2.45 FCFA 1,438

-34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.0

$16.13 FCFA 9,472

-17.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$7.01 FCFA 4,119

-52.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$12.13 FCFA 7,127

-6.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$2.95 FCFA 1,730

-38.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$1.66 FCFA 972

-21.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$3.46 FCFA 2,033

-56.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$4.08 FCFA 2,395

-68.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$3.10 FCFA 1,823

-77.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.38 FCFA 1,400

-60.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$1.29 FCFA 756

-51.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.89 FCFA 522

-37.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$3.85 FCFA 2,262

-1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$8.02 FCFA 4,710

51.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$1.05 FCFA 614

-20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$1.72 FCFA 1,012

-2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.27 FCFA 160

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$23.87 FCFA 14.0K

-25.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.65 FCFA 969

-9.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$1.68 FCFA 985

-77.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.23

$7.00 FCFA 4,112

1.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$1.34 FCFA 790

-5.97%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$29.0K FCFA 17.0M

-32.85%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$21.2K FCFA 12.5M

-17.40%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$603 FCFA 354.2K

-90.95%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$29.07 FCFA 17.1K

-69.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$42.24 FCFA 24.8K

-73.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$33.60 FCFA 19.7K

21.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$17.05 FCFA 10.0K

-15.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$6.17 FCFA 3,622

9.89%

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

$517 ¥3,437

$53.4 FCFA 31.4K

867.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$46.07 FCFA 27.1K

1.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$47.10 FCFA 27.7K

-24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$116 FCFA 68.0K

-33.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$113 FCFA 66.6K

-29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$802 FCFA 471.0K

-51.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$252 FCFA 147.9K

-6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$2,675 FCFA 1.6M

-69.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$990 FCFA 581.6K

-54.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$3,459 FCFA 2.0M

35.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$2,944 FCFA 1.7M

-19.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,274

$374 FCFA 219.9K

191.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

9.51

-63.62%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for the Republic of the Congo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Republic of the Congo

$252 15.2% 7.4% $17

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Republic of the Congo

$328 19.8% 56.2% $118

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Republic of the Congo

$145 8.8% 34.7% $37

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Republic of the Congo

$176 10.6% 100% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Republic of the Congo

$674 40.7% 807% $600

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Republic of the Congo

$46 2.8% 15.5% $8.4

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Republic of the Congo

$35 2.1% 56.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $1,149 in the Republic of the Congo. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,149 in Brazzaville.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $453 in the Republic of the Congo. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 286% higher in the Republic of the Congo.

Dining out costs 127% more in the Republic of the Congo.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in the Republic of the Congo.

Salaries are 93% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

16:02 4:02 PM

7 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

6,142,180

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Republic of the Congo 11,260 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Republic of the Congo

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 Republic of the Congo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,657 in the Republic of the Congo, China comes out about 52% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,149 in the Republic of the Congo 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.