Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cyprus and China

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,956 in Cyprus, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cyprus
China
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$1,956
/mo nomad
🇨🇳 China
$791
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cyprus 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 Cyprus and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,956 in Cyprus versus $791 in China.

  • Cyprus $1,956
  • China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,996 in Cyprus versus $1,251 in China.

  • Cyprus $2,996
  • China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,037 in Cyprus versus $1,711 in China.

  • Cyprus $4,037
  • China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in Cyprus: monthly costs span $1,305 to $2,773, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Cyprus.

Living in Cyprus is roughly 147% more expensive than in China on average.

Cyprus (44% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cyprus
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.57 €14.86
$2.98 ¥19.80
456.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$22.09 ¥147
205.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.19 €8.25
$5.20 ¥34.58
76.73%
Cappuccino
$3.76 €3.37
$2.97 ¥19.73
26.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.48 ¥3.19
320.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 €0.91
$0.30 ¥2.01
240.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.36 €3.91
$1.08 ¥7.17
303.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.63 €5.05
$2.28 ¥15.14
146.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cyprus
China
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.60
$1.80 ¥11.95
-1.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.03 €1.82
$1.68 ¥11.14
20.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.91 €2.61
$0.92 ¥6.13
216.30%
Eggs
$4.57 €4.10
$1.61 ¥10.73
183.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.61
$13.38 ¥89.0
-3.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.54 €7.66
$3.35 ¥22.27
154.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 €11.94
$11.35 ¥75.5
17.18%
Apples (1kg)
$3.29 €2.95
$1.82 ¥12.12
80.77%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 €1.93
$1.31 ¥8.69
64.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$1.49 ¥9.89
64.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 €2.87
$1.27 ¥8.47
151.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 €1.48
$0.71 ¥4.73
132.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 €1.24
$0.93 ¥6.21
48.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.97 €0.87
$0.62 ¥4.12
56.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.56 ¥3.74
91.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.75 €5.16
$3.78 ¥25.14
52.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.75 €6.96
$12.13 ¥80.7
-36.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 €1.58
$0.83 ¥5.54
112.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 €2.23
$1.68 ¥11.20
48.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Cyprus
China
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.25 €2.02
$0.29 ¥1.91
675.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.5 €49.77
$17.83 ¥119
211.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.65 €6.86
$1.49 ¥9.89
413.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 €1.96
$0.37 ¥2.49
491.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.91 €37.61
$7.10 ¥47.21
490.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.26 ¥8.37
35.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.6K €28.3K
$19.4K ¥129.3K
62.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K €28.4K
$17.5K ¥116.6K
80.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cyprus
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$208 €186
$54.6 ¥363
280.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.15 €18.98
$8.73 ¥58.1
142.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.46 €28.23
$11.07 ¥73.6
184.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cyprus
China
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$72.8 €65.3
$40.77 ¥271
78.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.18 €25.29
$14.48 ¥96.3
94.61%
Cinema Ticket
$11.11 €9.97
$6.78 ¥45.09
63.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cyprus
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$503 €452
$517 ¥3,436
-2.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,599 €7,716
$19.8K ¥131.8K
-56.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cyprus
China
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 €77.6
$46.53 ¥309
85.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.0 €44.89
$35.66 ¥237
40.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.3 €89.1
$77.0 ¥512
28.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.9
$80.3 ¥534
31.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cyprus
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,039 €932
$386 ¥2,566
169.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$815 €731
$235 ¥1,560
247.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,920 €1,723
$822 ¥5,466
133.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,478 €1,326
$453 ¥3,013
226.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,815 €3,423
$4,697 ¥31.2K
-18.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,646 €2,374
$2,372 ¥15.8K
11.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cyprus
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,888 €1,694
$1,093 ¥7,270
72.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.01
3.46
15.90%

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

Last update for Cyprus: October 24, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cyprus
$815
China
$235 71.2% $580
Groceries & Markets
Cyprus
$298
China
$210 29.6% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cyprus
$260
China
$74 71.4% $186
Eating Out
Cyprus
$250
China
$88 64.8% $162
Clothing & Footwear
Cyprus
$154
China
$108 29.9% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Cyprus
$95
China
$54 42.8% $41
Getting Around
Cyprus
$83
China
$22 73.1% $61

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $834 in Cyprus, $298 in China. Capital cities: $784 in Nicosia vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,533 in Cyprus, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 180% higher in Cyprus.

Dining out costs 191% more in Cyprus.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in Cyprus.

Salaries are 76% higher in Cyprus, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇨🇳 China
🕒 Local time
20:21 8:21 PM
02:21 2:21 AM
6 h ahead of Cyprus
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,344,976
1,442,965,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cyprus China 7,060 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cyprus
  • 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
Cyprus vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Cyprus?
At $791 per month in China and $1,956 in Cyprus, China comes out about 60% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: China or Cyprus?
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.
How do rents compare between China and Cyprus?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $834 in Cyprus and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in China and in Cyprus?
It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

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