Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Serbia Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Serbia

Name: Serbia
Address: RS

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $1,077 in Serbia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in China versus $1,586 in Serbia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in China versus $2,094 in Serbia.

Living in China costs about 34% less than in Serbia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Serbia 19% lower.

China ($521–$1,202) and Serbia ($874–$1,513) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.35

$9.64 RSD 979

-71.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ¥157

$48.80 RSD 4,956

-52.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥33.84

$10.73 RSD 1,090

-53.40%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.88

$2.37 RSD 241

29.96%

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

$0.48 ¥3.25

$2.23 RSD 227

-78.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$1.72 RSD 174

-83.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ¥6.75

$3.00 RSD 305

-66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥14.24

$3.51 RSD 357

-40.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.82

$1.41 RSD 143

24.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.27

$0.82 RSD 82.9

103.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.68

$2.61 RSD 265

-62.07%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.62

$2.79 RSD 284

-43.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.4

$10.31 RSD 1,047

26.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.42

$7.31 RSD 742

-54.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 ¥73.2

$12.50 RSD 1,269

-13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$1.31 RSD 133

35.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.40

$1.90 RSD 193

-34.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.19

$1.73 RSD 176

-13.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.13

$2.49 RSD 252

-51.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.17

$1.00 RSD 102

-24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.21

$0.91 RSD 92.0

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$0.81 RSD 81.8

-28.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.60

$0.71 RSD 72.1

-25.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ¥23.32

$4.57 RSD 464

-24.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 ¥80.9

$6.71 RSD 682

78.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.58

$0.87 RSD 88.8

-5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.17

$1.71 RSD 174

-3.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.82 RSD 83.1

-47.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

$20.10 RSD 2,041

3.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.34

$1.99 RSD 202

-30.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$0.87 RSD 88.5

-62.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 ¥45.59

$11.89 RSD 1,208

-43.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.66

$1.86 RSD 189

-39.25%

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

$19.6K ¥132.8K

$30.2K RSD 3.1M

-35.07%

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

$16.8K ¥113.7K

$26.6K RSD 2.7M

-36.76%

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

$50.7 ¥343

$194 RSD 19.7K

-73.85%

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

$10.12 ¥68.5

$20.28 RSD 2,060

-50.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 ¥77.3

$31.01 RSD 3,149

-63.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 ¥273

$35.87 RSD 3,643

12.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 ¥98.6

$18.41 RSD 1,869

-20.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 ¥43.34

$7.08 RSD 719

-9.60%

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

$417 ¥2,822

$367 RSD 37.3K

13.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥116.7K

$8,372 RSD 850.2K

105.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.55 ¥308

$95.8 RSD 9,729

-52.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.26 ¥218

$42.32 RSD 4,298

-23.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥494

$111 RSD 11.2K

-34.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ¥498

$119 RSD 12.1K

-38.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ¥2,931

$578 RSD 58.7K

-25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,768

$417 RSD 42.4K

-37.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 ¥6,126

$1,039 RSD 105.6K

-12.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ¥3,606

$752 RSD 76.4K

-29.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,965 ¥33.6K

$3,174 RSD 322.3K

56.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,518 ¥17.0K

$2,215 RSD 224.9K

13.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,063 ¥7,194

$961 RSD 97.6K

10.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

6.95

-41.58%

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

Last update for China: June 15, 2026

Last update for Serbia: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $378 in Serbia. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $885 in Belgrade.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $785 in Serbia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 32% higher in Serbia.

Dining out costs 67% more in Serbia.

Public transport is 28% more expensive in Serbia.

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

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 Serbia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $1,194 in Serbia, there's a 39% gap. 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 simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Serbia is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Serbia 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; Serbia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.