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: $719 in China versus $848 in Yemen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,145 in China versus $1,393 in Yemen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,570 in China versus $1,938 in Yemen.

Living in China costs about 15% less than in Yemen on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Yemen 38% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Yemen: monthly costs span $91.0 to $1,850, compared to $458–$1,247 in China. City choice carries more weight in Yemen.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ¥19.44

$8.26 YER 1,956

-64.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.13 ¥148

$27.25 YER 6,449

-18.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.61

$10.65 YER 2,520

-50.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 YER 838

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 YER 1,188

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.06

$3.51 YER 831

-14.81%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$1.87 YER 443

-74.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.03

$0.85 YER 201

-64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ¥6.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.83

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$3.08 YER 728

-43.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.24

$1.45 YER 344

15.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.43

$4.54 YER 1,074

-78.85%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.35

$5.72 YER 1,355

-73.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 ¥90.7

$11.69 YER 2,768

15.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.35

$11.47 YER 2,716

-69.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 ¥76.1

$32.83 YER 7,772

-65.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ¥12.59

$6.71 YER 1,589

-71.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.68

$2.62 YER 621

-50.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$4.94 YER 1,169

-69.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.54

$3.06 YER 725

-58.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$2.74 YER 648

-73.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.90

$2.59 YER 612

-66.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.95 YER 224

-35.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.72

$1.03 YER 244

-46.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.41 YER 808

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 YER 434

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 YER 1,005

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 ¥25.04

$5.00 YER 1,182

-25.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.28

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.40 YER 95.3

-27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.23 ¥149

$89.1 YER 21.1K

-75.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$3.42 YER 810

-55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$2.38 YER 564

-84.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.33 ¥49.17

$8.43 YER 1,995

-13.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.20

$3.19 YER 755

-61.76%

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

$19.3K ¥129.5K

$16.6K YER 3.9M

16.43%

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

$17.1K ¥114.9K

$48.5K YER 11.5M

-64.71%

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

$53.8 ¥361

$88.4 YER 20.9K

-39.20%

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

$8.71 ¥58.5

$20.77 YER 4,917

-58.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.93 ¥73.3

$55.1 YER 13.0K

-80.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.74 ¥273

$63.1 YER 14.9K

-35.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥97.5

$14.61 YER 3,459

-0.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ¥43.93

$5.85 YER 1,384

11.97%

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

$457 ¥3,066

$87.9 YER 20.8K

419.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$1,963 YER 464.6K

893.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.62 ¥306

$65.6 YER 15.5K

-30.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.90 ¥241

$92.7 YER 21.9K

-61.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ¥511

$70.8 YER 16.8K

7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 ¥513

$85.1 YER 20.1K

-10.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,582

$255 YER 60.4K

50.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ¥1,603

$131 YER 31.1K

81.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 ¥5,634

$525 YER 124.2K

60.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 ¥3,246

$359 YER 84.9K

34.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,581 ¥30.7K

$2,884 YER 682.7K

58.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,266 ¥15.2K

$990 YER 234.2K

129.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,147

$272 YER 64.4K

291.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

11.42

-69.61%

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

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Last update for Yemen: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in China, $96.0 in Yemen. Capital cities: $959 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $218 in Sanaa.

National salary averages: $864 in China, $316 in Yemen. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 206% higher in China.

Dining out costs 43% more in Yemen.

Salaries are 173% 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 $853 per month in China and $971 in Yemen, there's a 14% 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 China: 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 Yemen is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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