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 $1,073 in Serbia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,584 in Serbia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,549 in China versus $2,095 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 ($533–$1,212) and Serbia ($861–$1,518) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.71

$10.14 RSD 1,031

-72.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.05 ¥162

$49.81 RSD 5,066

-51.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥31.91

$10.87 RSD 1,106

-56.49%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.77

$2.27 RSD 231

35.68%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$2.24 RSD 227

-80.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$1.65 RSD 168

-82.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

$2.91 RSD 296

-65.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.02

$3.56 RSD 362

-41.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.38

$1.43 RSD 146

27.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$0.89 RSD 90.1

82.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

$2.59 RSD 264

-62.55%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

$2.65 RSD 270

-39.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

$10.37 RSD 1,055

28.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.74

$7.45 RSD 757

-54.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.1

$12.30 RSD 1,251

-13.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.25

$1.26 RSD 128

43.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.43

$1.91 RSD 194

-34.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$1.75 RSD 178

-16.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

$2.38 RSD 242

-51.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$1.05 RSD 107

-30.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

$0.89 RSD 91.0

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$0.80 RSD 81.7

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.58

$0.73 RSD 74.1

-27.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.91

$4.33 RSD 440

-21.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.2

$6.83 RSD 695

71.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.22

$0.82 RSD 83.7

-6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.97

$1.71 RSD 174

-4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.81 RSD 82.4

-49.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

$19.73 RSD 2,007

7.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.12

$1.96 RSD 199

-31.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$0.91 RSD 92.6

-60.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥45.23

$11.69 RSD 1,189

-42.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.98

$1.85 RSD 188

-36.22%

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

$19.8K ¥133.4K

$30.6K RSD 3.1M

-35.50%

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

$16.5K ¥111.6K

$27.5K RSD 2.8M

-39.91%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$194 RSD 19.7K

-73.35%

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

$10.09 ¥68.1

$20.18 RSD 2,053

-50.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥76.8

$30.62 RSD 3,114

-62.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 ¥265

$35.02 RSD 3,561

12.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

$18.08 RSD 1,839

-17.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.53

$6.71 RSD 683

-6.11%

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

$414 ¥2,793

$368 RSD 37.4K

12.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.5K

$8,283 RSD 842.4K

110.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 ¥316

$99.5 RSD 10.1K

-52.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ¥223

$42.45 RSD 4,317

-22.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

$112 RSD 11.4K

-36.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$122 RSD 12.4K

-39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ¥2,971

$581 RSD 59.1K

-24.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,706

$417 RSD 42.4K

-39.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 ¥6,150

$1,050 RSD 106.8K

-13.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥3,582

$732 RSD 74.4K

-27.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$3,088 RSD 314.0K

54.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ¥16.2K

$2,127 RSD 216.3K

12.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,140

$954 RSD 97.0K

10.85%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Serbia: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $378 in Serbia. Capital cities: $909 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $863 in Belgrade.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $775 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 11% 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 $873 per month in China and $1,190 in Serbia, there's a 36% 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.