Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Reunion

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $1,867 in Reunion, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

🇨🇳 China
$800
/mo nomad
🇷🇪 Reunion
$1,867
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Reunion

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $1,867 in Reunion.

  • China $800
  • Reunion $1,867

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $2,942 in Reunion.

  • China $1,266
  • Reunion $2,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $4,016 in Reunion.

  • China $1,731
  • Reunion $4,016

Living in China costs about 57% less than in Reunion on average.

China (41% below) and Reunion (38% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
China
Reunion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.92 ¥19.50
$8.92 €7.93
-67.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.45 ¥150
$96.2 €85.6
-76.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.33 ¥35.65
$13.39 €11.91
-60.19%
Cappuccino
$3.04 ¥20.34
$3.31 €2.95
-8.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ¥3.23
$2.88 €2.56
-83.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ¥2.02
$2.29 €2.04
-86.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.07 ¥7.12
$4.57 €4.07
-76.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ¥15.11
$5.74 €5.10
-60.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
China
Reunion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 ¥11.70
$1.43 €1.27
22.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.62 ¥10.80
$3.00 €2.67
-46.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 ¥6.63
$3.16 €2.81
-68.67%
Eggs
$1.56 ¥10.44
$4.63 €4.12
-66.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.25 ¥88.6
$21.32 €18.97
-37.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.37 ¥22.50
$15.10 €13.43
-77.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.39 ¥76.2
$24.67 €21.94
-53.83%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 ¥12.19
$2.93 €2.61
-37.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.25 ¥8.34
$2.05 €1.82
-39.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.55 ¥10.39
$2.86 €2.54
-45.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.28 ¥8.55
$6.59 €5.86
-80.58%
Potato (1kg)
$0.71 ¥4.72
$2.47 €2.20
-71.26%
Onion (1kg)
$0.86 ¥5.75
$3.69 €3.28
-76.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ¥4.36
$1.54 €1.37
-57.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 ¥3.97
$2.74 €2.44
-78.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.76 ¥25.14
$12.84 €11.42
-70.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.76 ¥78.6
$8.95 €7.96
31.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 ¥6.11
$3.24 €2.88
-71.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 ¥10.86
$2.49 €2.21
-34.94%
🚌 Getting Around
China
Reunion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 ¥2.10
$2.85 €2.53
-89.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.75 ¥152
$42.52 €37.82
-46.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.52 ¥10.17
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 ¥2.50
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.28 ¥48.66
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 ¥8.38
$1.92 €1.71
-34.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K ¥129.7K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.1K ¥114.4K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
Reunion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$55.5 ¥371
$122 €108
-54.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.29 ¥55.4
$16.08 €14.30
-48.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.97 ¥73.3
$43.86 €39.01
-74.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
China
Reunion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.38 ¥270
$35.74 €31.79
12.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.76 ¥98.7
$13.40 €11.92
10.15%
Cinema Ticket
$6.76 ¥45.18
$11.25 €10.01
-39.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
China
Reunion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$465 ¥3,108
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K ¥131.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
China
Reunion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.32 ¥310
$143 €127
-67.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.30 ¥243
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.3 ¥510
$126 €112
-39.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 ¥527
$113 €101
-30.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
China
Reunion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$396 ¥2,646
$948 €844
-58.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$240 ¥1,604
$742 €660
-67.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$822 ¥5,499
$1,659 €1,476
-50.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$466 ¥3,116
$1,258 €1,119
-62.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,544 ¥30.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,282 ¥15.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
China
Reunion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,075 ¥7,188
$2,056 €1,829
-47.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
4
-13.50%

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for Reunion: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
China
$240
Reunion
$742 209% $502
Groceries & Markets
China
$209
Reunion
$453 117% $244
Clothing & Footwear
China
$107
Reunion
$172 * 60.8% $65
Eating Out
China
$89
Reunion
$206 132% $117
Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
$75
Reunion
$182 143% $107
Sport & Entertainment
China
$54
Reunion
$58 8.1% $4.4
Getting Around
China
$27
Reunion
$54 * 96.7% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $446 in Reunion. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,074 in Saint-Pierre.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $2,047 in Reunion. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 49% higher in Reunion.

Dining out costs 48% more in Reunion.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 135% higher in Reunion.

Good to know
🇨🇳 China
🇷🇪 Reunion
🕒 Local time
12:35 12:35 PM
08:35 8:35 AM
4 h behind China
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,442,965,000
881,348
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • China Reunion 9,280 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • China
  • Reunion

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 Reunion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Reunion?
At $800 per month in China and $1,867 in Reunion, there's a 133% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do rents compare between China and Reunion?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $446 in Reunion and $299 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $2,000 go in China compared to Reunion?
In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Reunion it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in China and in Reunion?
It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Reunion may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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