Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Russia

Name: Russia
Address: RU

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $1,245 in Russia, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Russia
Learn more

Russia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Russia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $1,245 in Russia.

China $800
Russia $1,245

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $1,945 in Russia.

China $1,266
Russia $1,945

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $2,645 in Russia.

China $1,731
Russia $2,645

Internal cost variation is higher in Russia: monthly costs span $81.0 to $1,887, compared to $462–$1,256 in China. City choice carries more weight in Russia.

Living in China costs about 36% less than in Russia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 41% lower, Russia 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$11.70 ₽976

-75.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$42.07 ₽3,511

-46.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$6.50 ₽542

-18.00%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$3.09 ₽258

-1.62%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$1.28 ₽107

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.62 ₽51.5

-51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$2.34 ₽195

-54.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$3.06 ₽256

-26.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$1.22 ₽101

43.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$0.84 ₽70.2

92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$1.47 ₽123

-32.65%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$1.62 ₽135

-3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$11.69 ₽976

13.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$5.90 ₽492

-42.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$11.88 ₽991

-4.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$1.92 ₽160

-5.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.78 ₽149

-29.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.81 ₽151

-14.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$3.13 ₽261

-59.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$0.75 ₽62.9

-5.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$0.68 ₽56.7

26.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$1.37 ₽115

-52.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.82 ₽68.3

-28.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$2.96 ₽247

27.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$8.54 ₽713

37.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.13 ₽94.6

-19.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$2.08 ₽174

-22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.55 ₽46.26

-43.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$40.65 ₽3,393

-44.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$2.37 ₽197

-35.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$0.47 ₽38.98

-21.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$6.61 ₽551

10.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$0.88 ₽73.5

42.05%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$52.4K ₽4.4M

-62.95%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$39.3K ₽3.3M

-56.51%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$142 ₽11.9K

-60.95%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$7.19 ₽600

15.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$9.03 ₽754

21.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$38.29 ₽3,195

5.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$32.29 ₽2,695

-54.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$7.12 ₽594

-5.06%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$485 ₽40.4K

-4.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$16.6K ₽1.4M

18.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$89.1 ₽7,433

-47.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$53.1 ₽4,432

-31.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$129 ₽10.8K

-41.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$128 ₽10.7K

-38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$615 ₽51.3K

-35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$409 ₽34.2K

-41.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$1,124 ₽93.8K

-26.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$763 ₽63.7K

-38.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$3,103 ₽259.0K

46.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$2,101 ₽175.3K

8.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$933 ₽77.9K

15.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

21.27

-83.73%

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for Russia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30%

Russia

$409 32.9% 70.6% $169

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Russia

$222 17.8% 6.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Russia

$180 14.4% 68% $73

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Russia

$176 14.1% 97.7% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Russia

$158 12.7% 112% $84

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Russia

$53 4.2% 2.5% $1.4

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Russia

$48 3.8% 73.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $441 in Russia. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,480 in Moscow.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $799 in Russia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 47% higher in Russia.

Dining out costs 86% more in Russia.

Public transport is 113% more expensive in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇷🇺 Russia

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

13:35 1:35 PM

5 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

145,975,300

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Russia 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Russia

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 Russia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $1,245 in Russia, there's a 56% 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 $441 in Russia 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 Russia 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; Russia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.