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 $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,311 in Cuba versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,664 in Cuba versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Cuba is roughly 35% more expensive than 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 $1,578, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Cuba.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.02 CUP 145

$2.75 ¥18.83

118.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.51 CUP 588

$24.03 ¥165

2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 CUP 163

$4.96 ¥33.95

36.69%

Cappuccino

$1.65 CUP 39.56

$3.12 ¥21.37

-47.12%

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

$1.98 CUP 47.51

$0.48 ¥3.26

312.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CUP 29.37

$0.27 ¥1.84

351.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 CUP 47.18

$0.98 ¥6.73

101.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CUP 57.6

$2.15 ¥14.69

11.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 CUP 69.8

$1.83 ¥12.53

59.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 CUP 27.08

$1.68 ¥11.54

-32.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 CUP 48.11

$0.91 ¥6.21

119.78%

Eggs

$3.03 CUP 72.7

$1.56 ¥10.66

94.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 CUP 139

$12.97 ¥88.9

-55.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 CUP 126

$3.25 ¥22.23

62.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 CUP 263

$10.51 ¥72.0

4.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 CUP 109

$1.81 ¥12.41

151.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 CUP 27.35

$1.30 ¥8.90

-12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 CUP 37.55

$1.50 ¥10.26

4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 CUP 38.93

$1.15 ¥7.87

40.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 CUP 43.74

$0.76 ¥5.20

139.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 CUP 57.6

$0.89 ¥6.07

169.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 CUP 20.91

$0.58 ¥3.97

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CUP 25.43

$0.58 ¥3.95

82.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 CUP 82.8

$3.50 ¥23.95

-1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 CUP 244

$11.55 ¥79.1

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 CUP 47.43

$0.78 ¥5.31

153.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 CUP 51.4

$1.61 ¥11.03

32.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 CUP 4.70

$0.44 ¥3.01

-54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 CUP 544

$21.15 ¥145

7.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 CUP 52.6

$1.36 ¥9.35

61.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 CUP 11.67

$0.36 ¥2.44

36.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.92 CUP 478

$6.61 ¥45.28

201.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CUP 29.52

$1.13 ¥7.74

8.85%

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

$71.1K CUP 1.7M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

260.06%

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

$75.5K CUP 1.8M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

342.01%

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

$36.93 CUP 886

$50.9 ¥349

-27.46%

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

$35.56 CUP 853

$10.03 ¥68.7

254.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$229 CUP 5,506

$11.33 ¥77.6

1924.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.18 CUP 844

$40.13 ¥275

-12.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 CUP 287

$14.97 ¥103

-19.97%

Cinema Ticket

$1.03 CUP 24.69

$6.09 ¥41.74

-83.09%

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

$110 CUP 2,652

$418 ¥2,860

-73.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CUP 321.6K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-22.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.82 CUP 932

$46.40 ¥318

-16.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.91 CUP 766

$32.92 ¥226

-3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 CUP 1,659

$71.1 ¥487

-2.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 CUP 1,682

$72.9 ¥499

-3.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 CUP 8,155

$438 ¥3,003

-22.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 CUP 12.7K

$259 ¥1,775

103.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 CUP 21.3K

$926 ¥6,341

-4.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 CUP 15.0K

$548 ¥3,754

14.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$369 CUP 8,846

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-92.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$339 CUP 8,128

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-87.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$37.26 CUP 894

$1,074 ¥7,357

-96.53%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $270 in Cuba, $286 in China. Capital cities: $361 in Havana vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $36.00 in Cuba, $834 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 2217% 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 $873 per month in China and $800 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.