Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Western Sahara

Name: Western Sahara
Address: EH

For one person, living is cheaper in Western Sahara: $120 a month against $791 in China, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses 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

🇪🇭 Western Sahara

$120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Western Sahara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $120 in Western Sahara.

China $791
Western Sahara $120

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $174 in Western Sahara.

China $1,251
Western Sahara $174

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $229 in Western Sahara.

China $1,711
Western Sahara $229

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $119–$119 in Western Sahara. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China is roughly 561% more expensive than in Western Sahara on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Western Sahara 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.84

$4.19 MAD 41.27

-28.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.66

$3.42 MAD 33.65

52.05%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.77

$2.10 MAD 20.69

41.43%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.43 MAD 4.22

11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.30 MAD 2.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.18

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

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.31

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.7

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

$0.73 MAD 7.14

-60.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$0.72 MAD 7.11

106.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$0.68 MAD 6.65

-45.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.31

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.39

$1.31 MAD 12.88

-3.82%

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

$20.07 MAD 198

-44.84%

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

$46.04 MAD 454

1.06%

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

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Western Sahara: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Western Sahara

–

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Western Sahara

–

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Western Sahara

–

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Western Sahara

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Western Sahara

–

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Western Sahara

–

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Western Sahara

–

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇪🇭 Western Sahara

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

8 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

612,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 MAD = 10.15 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, 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).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.85 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Western Sahara 10,920 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Western Sahara

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 Western Sahara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $120 in Western Sahara, there’s a 561% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Western Sahara 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 Western Sahara, $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: Western Sahara wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.