Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Tajikistan Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Tajikistan

Name: Tajikistan
Address: TJ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in China versus $356 in Tajikistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in China versus $587 in Tajikistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $818 in Tajikistan.

Living in China is roughly 102% more expensive than in Tajikistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Tajikistan 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.65

$5.86 TJS 54.3

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.85 ¥147

$16.42 TJS 152

33.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 ¥33.83

$5.37 TJS 49.71

-6.15%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥20.28

$1.51 TJS 14.00

100.00%

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

$0.47 ¥3.18

$0.70 TJS 6.46

-32.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$0.36 TJS 3.37

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$1.11 TJS 10.26

-3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.25

$1.81 TJS 16.75

25.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.10

$1.01 TJS 9.39

78.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.41

$0.57 TJS 5.25

198.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.48

$2.05 TJS 18.95

-52.68%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.81

$1.76 TJS 16.29

-8.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 ¥87.3

$11.35 TJS 105

14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ¥22.77

$3.74 TJS 34.60

-9.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 ¥76.0

$11.43 TJS 106

-0.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.97

$1.60 TJS 14.86

11.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.37

$2.59 TJS 23.96

-51.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.89

$2.60 TJS 24.05

-43.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.69

$0.87 TJS 8.02

48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$0.59 TJS 5.48

33.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$0.39 TJS 3.61

120.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.32

$1.01 TJS 9.31

-36.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.95

$0.59 TJS 5.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.50

$2.69 TJS 24.93

41.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.9

$11.89 TJS 110

0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

$1.37 TJS 12.69

-37.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.42

$1.68 TJS 15.59

1.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.28 TJS 2.60

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.27 ¥150

$24.10 TJS 223

-7.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.86

$1.07 TJS 9.91

37.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$0.33 TJS 3.08

12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥47.12

$6.46 TJS 59.8

8.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$1.16 TJS 10.76

8.62%

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

$19.0K ¥127.5K

$22.0K TJS 203.4K

-13.57%

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

$17.0K ¥114.3K

$23.0K TJS 212.9K

-26.01%

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

$55.3 ¥371

$52.5 TJS 486

5.38%

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

$8.77 ¥58.9

$9.71 TJS 89.9

-9.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.78 ¥72.4

$18.74 TJS 174

-42.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 ¥265

$35.70 TJS 331

10.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.61 ¥98.1

$13.48 TJS 125

8.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ¥45.15

$5.33 TJS 49.39

26.08%

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

$447 ¥3,002

$101 TJS 933

343.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ¥132.4K

$6,621 TJS 61.3K

197.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 ¥293

$25.24 TJS 234

73.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.93 ¥235

$40.92 TJS 379

-14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥517

$67.8 TJS 628

13.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ¥518

$61.9 TJS 573

24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 ¥2,579

$529 TJS 4,901

-27.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,549

$298 TJS 2,755

-22.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ¥5,534

$758 TJS 7,018

8.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ¥3,169

$549 TJS 5,084

-14.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,687 ¥31.5K

$1,261 TJS 11.7K

271.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 ¥15.7K

$681 TJS 6,301

244.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 ¥7,269

$437 TJS 4,048

147.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

22.56

-84.62%

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

Last update for China: August 15, 2026

Last update for Tajikistan: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $290 in China, $242 in Tajikistan. Capital cities: $953 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $619 in Dushanbe.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $394 in Tajikistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 20% higher in China.

Dining out costs 110% more in China.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 118% higher 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 Tajikistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $846 per month in China and $478 in Tajikistan, there's a 77% 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 Tajikistan: 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 China is consistently higher than in Tajikistan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Tajikistan, $1,000 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: Tajikistan wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.