Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Xi'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Xi'an: $728 a month against $776 in Contagem, rent and utilities included – about $580 less a year. The total is higher in Contagem despite lower rent and utilities.

38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index

Jump to prices

Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Contagem and in Xi'an

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Contagem and in Xi'an actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $776 per month in Contagem vs $728 in Xi'an, rent included.

Contagem $776
Xi'an $728

A couple spends around $1,248 per month in Contagem vs $1,139 in Xi'an, rent included.

Contagem $1,248
Xi'an $1,139

A family of three spends $1,719 per month in Contagem vs $1,550 in Xi'an, rent included.

Contagem $1,719
Xi'an $1,550

Contagem costs about 7% more than Xi'an, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Contagem and Xi'an are more affordable than the global median – Contagem 43% lower, Xi'an 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 R$29.69

$2.62 ¥17.51

123.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 R$153

$18.15 ¥121

65.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.84

$4.58 ¥30.64

54.37%

Cappuccino

$1.69 R$8.58

$2.11 ¥14.10

-19.91%

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

$1.35 R$6.85

$0.44 ¥2.92

206.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$0.29 ¥1.96

113.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 R$6.41

$1.46 ¥9.76

-13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.72

$1.52 ¥10.17

65.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.49 ¥9.97

-36.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.30

$1.75 ¥11.71

4.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$0.91 ¥6.05

48.35%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.20

$1.42 ¥9.46

41.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 R$49.00

$11.53 ¥77.1

-16.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$17.16

$3.95 ¥26.44

-14.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 R$38.41

$10.51 ¥70.3

-27.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.51

$1.61 ¥10.77

16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.11 ¥7.39

9.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.24 ¥8.28

-22.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.31

$1.27 ¥8.46

29.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.49

$0.63 ¥4.23

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$0.70 ¥4.66

37.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.25

$0.63 ¥4.20

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.55 ¥3.66

50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 R$8.12

$3.28 ¥21.95

-51.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$9.75 ¥65.2

-40.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.79

$0.81 ¥5.42

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.17

$1.76 ¥11.77

-19.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R$7.31

$0.29 ¥1.92

396.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 R$402

$26.36 ¥176

200.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R$5.74

$1.25 ¥8.34

-9.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.63

$0.29 ¥1.94

148.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.82

$4.53 ¥30.30

38.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.48

$1.35 ¥9.01

-5.19%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$19.3K ¥128.7K

21.73%

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

$32.2K R$163.0K

$17.5K ¥116.8K

84.00%

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

$77.6 R$393

$87.8 ¥587

-11.60%

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

$10.12 R$51.3

$6.44 ¥43.07

57.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 R$97.9

$10.73 ¥71.7

79.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 R$136

$29.45 ¥197

-9.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.87 R$121

$21.20 ¥142

12.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 R$35.59

$5.67 ¥37.90

23.81%

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

$143 R$725

$683 ¥4,567

-79.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,614 R$13.2K

$17.7K ¥118.1K

-85.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R$304

$39.25 ¥262

52.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.09 R$249

$37.89 ¥253

29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 R$340

$76.2 ¥509

-11.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 R$244

$89.8 ¥601

-46.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,132

$311 ¥2,080

-28.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 R$779

$177 ¥1,183

-13.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 R$2,391

$872 ¥5,829

-45.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,617

$354 ¥2,364

-9.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 R$10.2K

$2,400 ¥16.0K

-16.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 R$5,087

$1,622 ¥10.8K

-38.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 R$1,331

$1,071 ¥7,164

-75.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

3.35

218.51%

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

Last update for Contagem: October 18, 2026

Last update for Xi'an: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$176 22.7%

Xi'an

$193 26.5% 9.5% $17

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$154 19.8%

Xi'an

$177 24.3% 15.1% $23

Eating Out

Contagem

$108 13.9%

Xi'an

$73 10.1% 31.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$107 13.8%

Xi'an

$105 14.4% 1.9% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$101 13%

Xi'an

$109 15% 8.4% $8.5

Getting Around

Contagem

$90 11.6%

Xi'an

$30 4.2% 66.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$41 5.3%

Xi'an

$41 5.6% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Contagem versus $311 in Xi'an. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 308% higher in Xi'an, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Contagem versus $18.00 in Xi'an. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Contagem vs $193 in Xi'an – so Contagem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

21:19 9:19 PM

11 h ahead of Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

12,183,280

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Contagem Xi'an 16,920 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Contagem
Xi'an

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

Contagem vs Xi'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Contagem is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Contagem and $1,093 in Xi'an. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xi'an, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 201% less in Xi'an. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Contagem and $683 in Xi'an. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $776 in Contagem and $728 in Xi'an, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Xi'an – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Xi'an. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Contagem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.