Cost of Living Comparison Between Djibouti and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Djibouti and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,026 in Djibouti versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,629 in Djibouti versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,232 in Djibouti versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Djibouti is roughly 43% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Djibouti 25% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 DJF 1,736

$2.92 ¥19.58

234.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 DJF 13.2K

$22.23 ¥149

233.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.58 DJF 2,773

$5.13 ¥34.34

203.70%

Cappuccino

$3.45 DJF 614

$2.99 ¥20.03

15.38%

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

$1.92 DJF 342

$0.52 ¥3.50

269.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 DJF 296

$0.28 ¥1.87

492.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 DJF 1,264

$1.05 ¥7.04

576.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.68 DJF 1,544

$2.26 ¥15.17

284.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 DJF 488

$1.81 ¥12.11

51.38%

White Bread (500g)

$9.34 DJF 1,663

$1.68 ¥11.23

455.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 DJF 473

$0.90 ¥6.05

195.56%

Eggs

$5.79 DJF 1,031

$1.56 ¥10.43

271.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 DJF 1,744

$13.24 ¥88.7

-25.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.24 DJF 3,246

$3.49 ¥23.40

422.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 DJF 2,126

$11.23 ¥75.2

6.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 DJF 662

$1.86 ¥12.43

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 DJF 222

$1.26 ¥8.47

-0.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 DJF 470

$1.53 ¥10.22

72.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 DJF 295

$1.26 ¥8.45

31.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 DJF 275

$0.73 ¥4.91

110.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 DJF 297

$0.88 ¥5.89

89.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.64 DJF 1,004

$0.65 ¥4.33

767.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 DJF 103

$0.58 ¥3.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 DJF 346

$3.71 ¥24.84

-47.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 DJF 3,746

$11.80 ¥79.0

78.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 DJF 426

$0.85 ¥5.69

181.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 DJF 621

$1.67 ¥11.19

108.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 DJF 77.1

$0.29 ¥1.93

48.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.13 DJF 7,498

$22.67 ¥152

85.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 DJF 508

$1.50 ¥10.07

90.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.51 DJF 980

$0.35 ¥2.32

1474.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.58 DJF 4,909

$7.29 ¥48.84

278.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 DJF 396

$1.22 ¥8.18

81.97%

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

$34.1K DJF 6.1M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

79.61%

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

$32.7K DJF 5.8M

$17.4K ¥116.2K

88.65%

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

$520 DJF 92.6K

$54.0 ¥362

864.21%

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

$31.99 DJF 5,693

$8.41 ¥56.4

280.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 DJF 10.6K

$10.82 ¥72.5

450.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 DJF 15.1K

$40.41 ¥271

109.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.04 DJF 4,991

$14.63 ¥98.0

91.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 DJF 2,246

$6.60 ¥44.18

91.21%

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

$329 DJF 58.5K

$452 ¥3,025

-27.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,695 DJF 1.5M

$19.2K ¥128.9K

-54.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.42 DJF 7,549

$44.23 ¥296

-4.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.00 DJF 3,559

$35.46 ¥238

-43.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 DJF 22.4K

$74.7 ¥500

68.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 DJF 10.0K

$78.6 ¥527

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 DJF 121.5K

$394 ¥2,642

73.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 DJF 83.8K

$243 ¥1,630

93.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 DJF 178.7K

$845 ¥5,660

18.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 DJF 226.1K

$481 ¥3,221

164.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.6K DJF 2.2M

$4,609 ¥30.9K

173.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,106 DJF 1.1M

$2,327 ¥15.6K

162.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,880 DJF 512.6K

$1,060 ¥7,100

171.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.07

3.47

276.66%

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

Last update for Djibouti: September 13, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $335 in Djibouti, $294 in China. Capital cities: $670 in Djibouti vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,883 in Djibouti, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in Djibouti.

Dining out costs 76% more in Djibouti.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in Djibouti.

Salaries are 233% higher in Djibouti, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Djibouti.

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

Djibouti vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $837 per month in China and $1,026 in Djibouti, there's a 23% 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 China: 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 Djibouti is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Djibouti 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: China wins on affordability; Djibouti may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.