Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $957 in Cuba versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,308 in Cuba versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,658 in Cuba versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Cuba is roughly 34% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Cuba 28% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Cuba: monthly costs span $22.00 to $1,620, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Cuba.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 CUP 143

$2.77 ¥18.72

115.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.68 CUP 592

$24.05 ¥162

2.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 CUP 170

$4.73 ¥31.93

50.11%

Cappuccino

$1.67 CUP 40.15

$3.08 ¥20.78

-45.78%

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

$1.98 CUP 47.60

$0.44 ¥3.00

350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 CUP 28.33

$0.29 ¥1.98

306.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 CUP 49.01

$1.01 ¥6.80

101.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CUP 58.3

$2.08 ¥14.03

16.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.79 CUP 67.0

$1.83 ¥12.39

52.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 CUP 27.13

$1.62 ¥10.94

-30.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 CUP 48.11

$0.97 ¥6.58

106.19%

Eggs

$3.05 CUP 73.2

$1.61 ¥10.90

89.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 CUP 144

$13.34 ¥90.1

-55.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 CUP 128

$3.37 ¥22.75

58.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 CUP 266

$10.68 ¥72.2

3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 CUP 105

$1.81 ¥12.26

141.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CUP 27.52

$1.25 ¥8.44

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 CUP 35.55

$1.46 ¥9.88

1.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 CUP 37.29

$1.15 ¥7.73

34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 CUP 43.21

$0.73 ¥4.92

146.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CUP 57.9

$0.89 ¥5.99

170.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 CUP 21.59

$0.60 ¥4.05

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CUP 25.60

$0.53 ¥3.59

101.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 CUP 82.7

$3.39 ¥22.93

1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 CUP 240

$11.73 ¥79.3

-14.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CUP 47.34

$0.77 ¥5.23

155.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 CUP 51.1

$1.63 ¥10.98

30.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.43

$0.41 ¥2.77

-56.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.70 CUP 545

$21.24 ¥143

6.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 CUP 51.8

$1.35 ¥9.13

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 CUP 11.47

$0.36 ¥2.40

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.25 CUP 486

$6.70 ¥45.26

202.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CUP 30.18

$1.18 ¥7.98

6.78%

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

$68.9K CUP 1.7M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

248.54%

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

$73.8K CUP 1.8M

$16.5K ¥111.7K

346.48%

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

$37.43 CUP 898

$51.7 ¥349

-27.66%

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

$35.50 CUP 852

$10.09 ¥68.2

251.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$228 CUP 5,476

$11.38 ¥76.9

1904.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 CUP 834

$39.24 ¥265

-11.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.09 CUP 290

$14.84 ¥100

-18.53%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.63

$6.30 ¥42.56

-84.44%

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

$109 CUP 2,615

$414 ¥2,795

-73.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CUP 320.3K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

-23.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.57 CUP 926

$46.77 ¥316

-17.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.52 CUP 756

$33.08 ¥223

-4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 CUP 1,685

$70.9 ¥479

-1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 CUP 1,707

$74.5 ¥503

-4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 CUP 8,416

$440 ¥2,972

-20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 CUP 12.6K

$253 ¥1,707

107.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 CUP 22.0K

$911 ¥6,153

0.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 CUP 15.4K

$531 ¥3,584

20.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$355 CUP 8,514

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-92.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$335 CUP 8,049

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-86.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$35.91 CUP 862

$1,058 ¥7,144

-96.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.96

4.06

120.69%

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

Last update for Cuba: July 27, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $272 in Cuba, $287 in China. Capital cities: $371 in Havana vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $36.00 in Cuba, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 6% higher in China.

Dining out costs 10% more in Cuba.

Public transport is 20% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 2281% 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

Cuba vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $821 in Cuba, there's a 6% 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 Cuba: 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 Cuba across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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