Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Yemen Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Yemen

Name: Yemen
Address: YE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $626 in Yemen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,062 in Yemen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $1,497 in Yemen.

Living in China is roughly 14% more expensive than in Yemen on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Yemen 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.35

$7.56 YER 1,790

-62.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥159

$27.29 YER 6,459

-14.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.75

$10.42 YER 2,466

-53.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 YER 690

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 YER 885

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.06

$4.38 YER 1,036

-29.00%

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

$0.44 ¥3.00

$1.74 YER 411

-74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.64 YER 151

-54.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.47

$2.67 YER 631

-31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$1.36 YER 323

19.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.28

$3.91 YER 925

-76.21%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.03

$4.84 YER 1,146

-66.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥89.0

$9.36 YER 2,214

40.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.09

$10.64 YER 2,517

-69.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.9

$26.49 YER 6,270

-59.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.19

$5.66 YER 1,340

-68.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.77

$1.95 YER 461

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.90

$4.13 YER 978

-64.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.15

$2.82 YER 667

-57.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.14

$2.51 YER 594

-69.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$2.03 YER 481

-56.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$0.71 YER 168

-19.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$1.05 YER 248

-48.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.54 YER 601

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 YER 361

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 YER 668

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.17

$4.89 YER 1,157

-30.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.95

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.42 YER 99.7

2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥139

$83.7 YER 19.8K

-75.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.24

$2.44 YER 578

-44.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$4.08 YER 965

-91.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.97

$5.99 YER 1,419

8.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$3.00 YER 710

-62.67%

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

$19.5K ¥131.8K

$16.3K YER 3.9M

19.49%

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

$16.9K ¥114.1K

$44.2K YER 10.5M

-61.86%

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

$51.7 ¥350

$87.0 YER 20.6K

-40.54%

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

$10.17 ¥68.8

$15.96 YER 3,777

-36.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$54.6 YER 12.9K

-79.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$63.1 YER 14.9K

-37.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.3

$14.74 YER 3,490

-1.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.19

$5.78 YER 1,369

10.38%

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

$407 ¥2,756

$80.7 YER 19.1K

405.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

$1,963 YER 464.6K

808.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$63.8 YER 15.1K

-28.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥219

$103 YER 24.3K

-68.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$57.1 YER 13.5K

27.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥504

$78.4 YER 18.6K

-5.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,996

$204 YER 48.3K

117.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,747

$127 YER 30.1K

102.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,162

$492 YER 116.4K

85.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,677

$371 YER 87.7K

46.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.4K

$1,216 YER 287.9K

305.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$1,006 YER 238.0K

138.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,205

$268 YER 63.3K

297.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

12.31

-67.02%

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

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Last update for Yemen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $69.0 in Yemen. Capital cities: $894 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $166 in Sanaa.

National salary averages: $855 in China, $314 in Yemen. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 316% higher in China.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 172% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 Yemen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $692 in Yemen, there's a 25% 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 Yemen: 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 Yemen across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Yemen, $2,000 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: Yemen wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.