Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Ukraine

Name: Ukraine
Address: UA

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $823 in Ukraine, rent and utilities included – about $380 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ukraine outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Ukraine
Learn more

Ukraine Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Ukraine

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $823 in Ukraine.

China $791
Ukraine $823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,273 in Ukraine.

China $1,251
Ukraine $1,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $1,724 in Ukraine.

China $1,711
Ukraine $1,724

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $492–$1,052 in Ukraine. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 4% less than in Ukraine on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Ukraine 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

$7.80 ₴355

-61.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$30.94 ₴1,409

-28.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$5.88 ₴268

-11.56%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

$1.50 ₴68.5

98.00%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.77 ₴35.03

-37.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.51 ₴23.42

-41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$1.08 ₴49.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

$1.73 ₴78.6

31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$1.20 ₴54.8

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$0.76 ₴34.44

121.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.34 ₴61.2

-31.34%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$1.87 ₴84.9

-13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.0

$9.19 ₴419

45.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$4.72 ₴215

-29.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$7.06 ₴321

60.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$1.17 ₴53.1

55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$1.55 ₴70.5

-15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.72 ₴78.4

-13.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$2.34 ₴107

-45.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$0.71 ₴32.31

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.55 ₴25.03

69.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$1.40 ₴63.9

-55.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.54 ₴24.42

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$3.02 ₴138

25.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$4.58 ₴209

164.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$0.87 ₴39.48

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$1.36 ₴62.0

23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.43 ₴19.50

-32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$13.85 ₴631

28.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.93 ₴88.0

-22.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.42 ₴19.22

-11.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.23

$4.34 ₴197

63.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$1.62 ₴73.6

-22.22%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$30.6K ₴1.4M

-36.42%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$23.9K ₴1.1M

-26.50%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$95.0 ₴4,325

-42.56%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$6.00 ₴273

45.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$6.28 ₴286

76.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$28.67 ₴1,305

42.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$13.05 ₴594

10.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$4.47 ₴203

51.68%

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

$517 ¥3,437

$289 ₴13.1K

78.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$6,932 ₴315.6K

185.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$60.8 ₴2,770

-23.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$38.13 ₴1,736

-6.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$85.0 ₴3,868

-9.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$94.1 ₴4,285

-14.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$376 ₴17.1K

2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$251 ₴11.4K

-6.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$642 ₴29.2K

27.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$424 ₴19.3K

6.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$1,382 ₴62.9K

239.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$902 ₴41.1K

162.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,274

$509 ₴23.2K

114.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

17.9

-80.67%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ukraine: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Ukraine

$251 30.5% 7.1% $17

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Ukraine

$170 20.7% 19.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Ukraine

$125 15.2% 16.1% $17

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Ukraine

$112 13.6% 27.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Ukraine

$107 13% 44.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Ukraine

$38 4.6% 30.8% $17

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Ukraine

$20 2.4% 12.3% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $311 in Ukraine. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $647 in Kyiv.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $455 in Ukraine. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 14% more in Ukraine.

Public transport is 20% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 92% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇺🇦 Ukraine

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

16:57 4:57 PM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

41,167,335

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 45.53 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 50.84 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

China Ukraine 6,450 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Ukraine

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 Ukraine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $823 in Ukraine, China comes out about 4% cheaper. 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 $311 in Ukraine and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.