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: $958 in Cuba versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,310 in Cuba versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,661 in Cuba versus $1,551 in China.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Cuba 29% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Cuba: monthly costs span $23.00 to $1,579, compared to $535–$1,206 in China. City choice carries more weight in Cuba.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 CUP 140

$2.86 ¥19.36

104.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.21 CUP 605

$23.29 ¥158

8.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 CUP 164

$4.83 ¥32.66

40.99%

Cappuccino

$1.61 CUP 38.66

$3.04 ¥20.52

-47.04%

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

$1.97 CUP 47.37

$0.45 ¥3.03

337.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CUP 29.46

$0.27 ¥1.81

355.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 CUP 48.50

$0.99 ¥6.71

104.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CUP 60.5

$2.03 ¥13.74

24.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 CUP 70.7

$1.75 ¥11.86

68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 CUP 27.25

$1.67 ¥11.31

-31.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 CUP 48.24

$0.97 ¥6.56

107.22%

Eggs

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$1.54 ¥10.45

98.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.87 CUP 141

$13.30 ¥89.9

-55.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 CUP 131

$3.21 ¥21.69

69.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 CUP 266

$10.79 ¥73.0

2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 CUP 107

$1.81 ¥12.27

145.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CUP 28.39

$1.31 ¥8.84

-9.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 CUP 37.39

$1.50 ¥10.15

4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 CUP 38.69

$1.14 ¥7.74

41.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 CUP 41.82

$0.73 ¥4.90

138.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CUP 59.8

$0.87 ¥5.86

186.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 CUP 21.28

$0.57 ¥3.85

56.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.56

$0.54 ¥3.63

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 CUP 86.0

$3.53 ¥23.88

1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 CUP 239

$11.71 ¥79.2

-14.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CUP 48.87

$0.84 ¥5.67

142.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CUP 48.85

$1.67 ¥11.29

22.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 CUP 4.83

$0.41 ¥2.75

-51.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.17 CUP 532

$20.78 ¥141

6.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 CUP 49.99

$1.36 ¥9.21

52.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 CUP 12.38

$0.33 ¥2.21

57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 CUP 487

$6.86 ¥46.40

195.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CUP 29.25

$1.12 ¥7.57

8.93%

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

$69.5K CUP 1.7M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

261.92%

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

$76.6K CUP 1.8M

$16.9K ¥114.4K

352.71%

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

$37.07 CUP 890

$51.8 ¥350

-28.45%

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

$35.07 CUP 842

$9.85 ¥66.6

256.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$228 CUP 5,482

$11.13 ¥75.3

1952.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 CUP 848

$39.10 ¥264

-9.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.44 CUP 298

$14.89 ¥101

-16.45%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.64

$6.25 ¥42.24

-84.32%

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

$107 CUP 2,566

$404 ¥2,732

-73.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CUP 322.8K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-24.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.91 CUP 910

$46.11 ¥312

-17.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.22 CUP 773

$32.27 ¥218

-0.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 CUP 1,677

$72.7 ¥491

-3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 CUP 1,711

$72.9 ¥493

-2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 CUP 8,164

$445 ¥3,009

-23.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 CUP 12.6K

$255 ¥1,727

106.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 CUP 21.8K

$927 ¥6,266

-2.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 CUP 15.1K

$532 ¥3,600

17.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$359 CUP 8,628

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-92.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$333 CUP 7,991

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-86.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$36.29 CUP 871

$1,057 ¥7,148

-96.57%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $269 in Cuba, $286 in China. Capital cities: $365 in Havana vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $36.00 in Cuba, $862 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 2294% 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

Cuba vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $801 in Cuba, there's a 9% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Cuba 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 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, $1,000 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. Cuba wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.