Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and South Sudan

Name: South Sudan
Address: SS

For one person, living is cheaper in South Sudan: $337 a month against $791 in China, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇸🇸 South Sudan

$337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in South Sudan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $337 in South Sudan.

China $791
South Sudan $337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $960 in South Sudan.

China $1,251
South Sudan $960

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $1,582 in South Sudan.

China $1,711
South Sudan $1,582

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $233–$233 in South Sudan. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China is roughly 135% more expensive than in South Sudan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, South Sudan 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.84

$19.73 SSP 113.5K

-84.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$168 SSP 965.0K

-86.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.66

$7.40 SSP 42.5K

-29.73%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.77

$3.19 SSP 18.3K

-6.90%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$1.53 SSP 8,811

-68.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$1.33 SSP 7,656

-77.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.18

$12.27 SSP 70.6K

-81.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.98

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.75

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.2

$7.19 SSP 41.4K

86.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.31

$5.22 SSP 30.0K

-35.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.7

$11.83 SSP 68.0K

-4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.14

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.71

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.91

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.49

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.74

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.19

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.23

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.91

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.31

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.39

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

$19.4K ¥129.6K

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

$17.5K ¥116.9K

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

$54.6 ¥364

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

$8.73 ¥58.2

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.8

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.5

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.19

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

$517 ¥3,443

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥132.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥238

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥513

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥535

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,572

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,563

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,478

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,020

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$1,089 SSP 6.3M

331.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$609 SSP 3.5M

289.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,286

$2,015 SSP 11.6M

-45.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

8.85

-60.90%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for South Sudan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

South Sudan

–

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

South Sudan

–

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

South Sudan

–

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

South Sudan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

South Sudan

–

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

South Sudan

–

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

South Sudan

–

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $873 in China, $1,743 in South Sudan. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Salaries are 100% higher in South Sudan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Sudan.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇸🇸 South Sudan

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

12,575,714

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Sudanese Pound SSP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

10,000 SSP = 1.74 USD

10,000 SSP = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SSP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

South Sudanese Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5,751 SSP (10,000 SSP = 1.74 USD). 1 EUR = 6,401 SSP (10,000 SSP = 1.56 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China South Sudan 9,220 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

China
South Sudan

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 South Sudan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $337 in South Sudan, there’s a 135% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, South Sudan is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

In South Sudan, $800 covers most cities easily; in China 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: South Sudan wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.