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: $1,132 in China versus $1,072 in Yemen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $1,518 in Yemen.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥18.98

$7.45 YER 1,776

-62.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$27.23 YER 6,488

-14.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.87

$10.22 YER 2,436

-50.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 YER 698

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 YER 903

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.38

$4.21 YER 1,002

-28.50%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$1.79 YER 428

-74.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.70 YER 166

-58.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.87

$2.64 YER 630

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.98

$1.41 YER 337

14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$4.11 YER 980

-76.89%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.55

$4.83 YER 1,152

-67.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$9.38 YER 2,234

39.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.17

$10.46 YER 2,492

-68.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.0

$26.76 YER 6,377

-60.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$5.72 YER 1,364

-68.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.42

$2.01 YER 479

-38.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.12

$4.18 YER 996

-64.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$2.69 YER 641

-57.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.07

$2.43 YER 579

-69.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$2.03 YER 483

-57.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.67 YER 159

-7.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$1.05 YER 250

-46.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.49 YER 592

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 YER 362

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 YER 667

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.76

$4.89 YER 1,166

-28.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.25

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.39 YER 93.4

10.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$82.2 YER 19.6K

-74.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.26

$2.49 YER 592

-44.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$4.00 YER 953

-91.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.82

$6.03 YER 1,436

9.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$2.96 YER 706

-61.49%

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

$19.2K ¥129.7K

$16.3K YER 3.9M

17.55%

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

$16.8K ¥113.4K

$44.6K YER 10.6M

-62.39%

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

$51.2 ¥346

$88.0 YER 21.0K

-41.85%

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

$10.16 ¥68.7

$16.41 YER 3,910

-38.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$54.1 YER 12.9K

-78.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$64.2 YER 15.3K

-36.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$14.71 YER 3,505

2.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.26

$5.79 YER 1,380

5.35%

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

$402 ¥2,719

$78.4 YER 18.7K

412.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.5K

$1,948 YER 464.2K

807.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$63.9 YER 15.2K

-28.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$103 YER 24.6K

-67.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$58.7 YER 14.0K

23.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$80.9 YER 19.3K

-7.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,903

$199 YER 47.3K

116.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,739

$125 YER 29.8K

105.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,055

$510 YER 121.5K

75.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,660

$368 YER 87.6K

47.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$1,251 YER 298.2K

300.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$1,007 YER 239.9K

145.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,132

$297 YER 70.8K

254.93%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Yemen: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $69.0 in Yemen. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $167 in Sanaa.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $313 in Yemen. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 314% higher in China.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 175% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $701 in Yemen, there's a 23% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Yemen is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.