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: $932 in Cuba versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,316 in Cuba versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,699 in Cuba versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Cuba is roughly 29% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Cuba 32% lower, China 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 CUP 142

$2.93 ¥19.60

102.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.68 CUP 592

$22.72 ¥152

8.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.39 CUP 153

$5.07 ¥33.95

26.04%

Cappuccino

$1.78 CUP 42.63

$2.94 ¥19.70

-39.46%

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

$1.81 CUP 43.44

$0.48 ¥3.21

277.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 CUP 25.50

$0.30 ¥2.02

253.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 CUP 49.17

$1.06 ¥7.10

93.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CUP 60.2

$2.25 ¥15.07

11.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 CUP 66.7

$1.79 ¥11.99

55.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 CUP 30.52

$1.70 ¥11.35

-25.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 CUP 48.12

$0.96 ¥6.45

109.37%

Eggs

$3.37 CUP 80.9

$1.61 ¥10.79

109.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.64 CUP 135

$13.60 ¥91.1

-58.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 CUP 123

$3.41 ¥22.84

50.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 CUP 260

$11.07 ¥74.2

-2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CUP 100

$1.81 ¥12.09

130.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 CUP 26.99

$1.30 ¥8.74

-13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 CUP 43.18

$1.48 ¥9.91

21.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 CUP 44.12

$1.30 ¥8.72

41.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 CUP 47.69

$0.72 ¥4.82

176.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CUP 58.3

$0.94 ¥6.31

158.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 CUP 22.98

$0.61 ¥4.08

57.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 CUP 23.08

$0.56 ¥3.73

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 CUP 75.8

$3.67 ¥24.58

-13.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 CUP 242

$11.90 ¥79.7

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CUP 43.77

$0.83 ¥5.56

119.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 CUP 50.8

$1.65 ¥11.08

28.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 CUP 4.98

$0.29 ¥1.92

-27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 CUP 476

$22.61 ¥151

-12.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 CUP 52.5

$1.45 ¥9.72

51.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 CUP 10.27

$0.34 ¥2.31

26.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.92 CUP 478

$7.27 ¥48.72

174.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CUP 30.61

$1.23 ¥8.26

4.07%

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

$69.9K CUP 1.7M

$19.5K ¥130.9K

257.79%

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

$73.7K CUP 1.8M

$17.2K ¥115.5K

327.55%

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

$37.37 CUP 897

$55.5 ¥371

-32.62%

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

$34.65 CUP 832

$8.51 ¥57.0

307.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$224 CUP 5,378

$10.81 ¥72.4

1972.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.47 CUP 947

$40.02 ¥268

-1.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.73 CUP 305

$14.80 ¥99.1

-13.99%

Cinema Ticket

$1.01 CUP 24.35

$6.73 ¥45.09

-84.99%

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

$107 CUP 2,568

$454 ¥3,042

-76.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CUP 315.0K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-32.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.47 CUP 995

$44.95 ¥301

-7.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.93 CUP 766

$35.81 ¥240

-10.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 CUP 1,707

$76.8 ¥514

-7.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 CUP 1,644

$77.3 ¥518

-11.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 CUP 7,993

$385 ¥2,581

-13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 CUP 11.5K

$242 ¥1,623

97.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 CUP 21.1K

$837 ¥5,603

5.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 CUP 14.8K

$474 ¥3,177

30.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$363 CUP 8,711

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-92.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$339 CUP 8,145

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-85.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$35.13 CUP 843

$1,062 ¥7,110

-96.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.38

3.47

170.32%

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

Last update for Cuba: September 6, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $269 in Cuba, $295 in China. Capital cities: $251 in Havana vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $36.00 in Cuba, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 10% higher in China.

Public transport is 21% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 2303% 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 $852 per month in China and $802 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.