Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,273 in Cuba, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Cuba
Learn more

Cuba Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,273

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuba and in China

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Cuba versus $791 in China.

Cuba $1,273
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Cuba versus $1,251 in China.

Cuba $1,737
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Cuba versus $1,711 in China.

Cuba $2,201
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in Cuba: monthly costs span $185 to $1,570, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Cuba.

Living in Cuba is roughly 61% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Cuba 6% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.18 CUP 148

$2.98 ¥19.84

107.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 CUP 591

$22.09 ¥147

11.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 CUP 160

$5.20 ¥34.66

27.88%

Cappuccino

$1.71 CUP 40.99

$2.97 ¥19.77

-42.42%

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

$1.82 CUP 43.65

$0.48 ¥3.19

279.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 CUP 26.46

$0.30 ¥2.01

266.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 CUP 48.93

$1.08 ¥7.19

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CUP 58.3

$2.28 ¥15.18

6.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 CUP 64.6

$1.80 ¥11.98

49.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 CUP 28.83

$1.68 ¥11.17

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 CUP 47.56

$0.92 ¥6.14

115.22%

Eggs

$3.41 CUP 81.9

$1.61 ¥10.75

111.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 CUP 141

$13.38 ¥89.2

-56.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 CUP 123

$3.35 ¥22.31

52.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.44 CUP 275

$11.35 ¥75.7

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 CUP 101

$1.82 ¥12.14

130.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CUP 27.86

$1.31 ¥8.71

-11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 CUP 42.63

$1.49 ¥9.91

19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 CUP 45.08

$1.27 ¥8.49

48.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 CUP 45.17

$0.71 ¥4.74

164.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 CUP 61.2

$0.93 ¥6.22

174.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 CUP 23.14

$0.62 ¥4.12

54.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 CUP 22.52

$0.56 ¥3.75

67.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 CUP 76.8

$3.78 ¥25.19

-15.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 CUP 229

$12.13 ¥80.9

-21.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CUP 42.86

$0.83 ¥5.55

115.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CUP 50.4

$1.68 ¥11.23

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 CUP 4.17

$0.29 ¥1.92

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.66 CUP 472

$17.83 ¥119

10.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 CUP 55.4

$1.49 ¥9.91

55.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 CUP 9.16

$0.37 ¥2.50

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 CUP 473

$7.10 ¥47.31

177.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CUP 31.08

$1.26 ¥8.39

2.38%

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

$70.7K CUP 1.7M

$19.4K ¥129.6K

263.56%

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

$73.0K CUP 1.8M

$17.5K ¥116.9K

316.13%

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

$36.43 CUP 874

$54.6 ¥364

-33.23%

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

$34.75 CUP 834

$8.73 ¥58.2

298.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$225 CUP 5,403

$11.07 ¥73.8

1933.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 CUP 951

$40.77 ¥272

-2.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.71 CUP 305

$14.48 ¥96.5

-12.22%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.57

$6.78 ¥45.19

-84.96%

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

$115 CUP 2,767

$517 ¥3,443

-77.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K CUP 323.1K

$19.8K ¥132.0K

-32.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.90 CUP 1,030

$46.53 ¥310

-7.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.23 CUP 845

$35.66 ¥238

-1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 CUP 1,720

$77.0 ¥513

-6.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 CUP 1,704

$80.3 ¥535

-11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 CUP 7,972

$386 ¥2,572

-13.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 CUP 10.9K

$235 ¥1,563

93.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 CUP 21.0K

$822 ¥5,478

6.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 CUP 14.1K

$453 ¥3,020

30.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$355 CUP 8,524

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-92.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$335 CUP 8,044

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-85.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$35.80 CUP 859

$1,093 ¥7,286

-96.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.38

3.46

171.10%

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

Last update for Cuba: October 27, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuba

$454 35.7%

China

$235 29.6% 48.4% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuba

$296 23.3%

China

$74 9.4% 74.9% $222

Groceries & Markets

Cuba

$240 18.9%

China

$210 26.5% 12.6% $30

Eating Out

Cuba

$117 9.2%

China

$88 11.1% 24.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cuba

$99 7.8%

China

$108 13.6% 8.4% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Cuba

$42 3.3%

China

$54 6.9% 30.4% $13

Getting Around

Cuba

$25 1.9%

China

$22 2.8% 9.1% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $380 in Cuba, $298 in China. Capital cities: $243 in Havana vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $37 in Cuba, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 28% higher in Cuba.

Dining out costs 27% more in Cuba.

Public transport is 28% more expensive in Cuba.

Salaries are about 24 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Cuba

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

15:11 3:11 PM

12 h ahead of Cuba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,985,974

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.74 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.71 CUP (100 CUP = 3.74 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cuba China 12,740 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuba
China

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

Cuba vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,273 in Cuba, there’s a 61% 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 cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $380 in Cuba and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability; Cuba may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.