Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in China versus $2,701 in the United States.

China $793
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in China versus $3,980 in the United States.

China $1,261
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,730 in China versus $5,258 in the United States.

China $1,730
United States $5,258

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $980 to $5,162, compared to $466–$1,244 in China. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in China costs about 71% less than in the United States on average.

China (41% below) and the United States (100% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.74

$19.92 $19.92

-85.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 ¥152

$81.0 $81.0

-71.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.65

$12.07 $12.07

-55.76%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.32

$5.55 $5.55

-45.23%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$2.67 $2.67

-82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.84

$2.09 $2.09

-86.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.91

$5.96 $5.96

-82.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.14

$7.76 $7.76

-70.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.05 $1.05

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.26

$3.55 $3.55

-52.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.68

$4.64 $4.64

-78.45%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.41

$4.18 $4.18

-62.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.7

$12.76 $12.76

5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.25

$12.63 $12.63

-72.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 ¥76.7

$17.22 $17.22

-33.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.98

$5.15 $5.15

-65.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.40

$1.64 $1.64

-23.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$4.46 $4.46

-66.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$4.98 $4.98

-73.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.83

$2.84 $2.84

-74.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.23

$3.09 $3.09

-69.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$2.19 $2.19

-72.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$2.27 $2.27

-74.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.61

$10.61 $10.61

-63.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.3

$14.71 $14.71

-19.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.71

$2.10 $2.10

-59.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.31

$3.82 $3.82

-55.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$2.35 $2.35

-86.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 ¥149

$64.1 $64.1

-65.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$3.57 $3.57

-58.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.52

$1.85 $1.85

-79.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ¥46.97

$30.19 $30.19

-76.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.31

$1.07 $1.07

15.89%

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

$19.2K ¥128.4K

$35.3K $35.3K

-45.52%

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

$17.3K ¥115.5K

$25.9K $25.9K

-33.22%

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

$54.3 ¥362

$217 $217

-74.93%

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

$8.34 ¥55.7

$61.4 $61.4

-86.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.77 ¥71.9

$74.4 $74.4

-85.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 ¥270

$45.08 $45.08

-10.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 ¥98.7

$23.07 $23.07

-35.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 ¥46.01

$14.79 $14.79

-53.41%

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

$457 ¥3,053

$1,480 $1,480

-69.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K ¥134.0K

$25.5K $25.5K

-21.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.10 ¥301

$53.0 $53.0

-14.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 ¥238

$42.75 $42.75

-16.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ¥520

$94.3 $94.3

-17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 ¥521

$115 $115

-32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ¥2,611

$1,678 $1,678

-76.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,547

$1,313 $1,313

-82.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ¥5,449

$2,649 $2,649

-69.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥3,066

$2,183 $2,183

-78.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,585 ¥30.6K

$3,374 $3,374

35.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,309 ¥15.4K

$2,661 $2,661

-13.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,237

$4,404 $4,404

-75.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

6.55

-47.18%

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

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.2%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 467% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

China

$211 26.6%

United States

$411 15.2% 94.5% $200

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

United States

$137 5.1% 29.1% $31

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

United States

$327 12.1% 267% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$73 9.3%

United States

$352 13% 380% $279

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.8%

United States

$75 2.8% 37.8% $20

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

United States

$86 3.2% 220% $59

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $940 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $871 in China, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 440% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 257% more in the United States.

Public transport is 59% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 420% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

10:57 10:57 AM

12 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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From you

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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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 241% 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 cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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