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: $1,006 in Djibouti versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Djibouti versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,311 in Djibouti versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Djibouti is roughly 41% more expensive than China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.14 DJF 1,802

$2.75 ¥18.83

268.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 DJF 14.3K

$24.03 ¥165

233.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 DJF 2,264

$4.96 ¥33.95

156.85%

Cappuccino

$3.68 DJF 655

$3.12 ¥21.37

17.95%

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

$1.88 DJF 335

$0.48 ¥3.26

291.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 DJF 339

$0.27 ¥1.84

607.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 DJF 1,019

$0.98 ¥6.73

484.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.39 DJF 1,491

$2.15 ¥14.69

290.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 DJF 445

$1.83 ¥12.53

37.16%

White Bread (500g)

$9.36 DJF 1,663

$1.68 ¥11.54

457.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 DJF 667

$0.91 ¥6.21

312.09%

Eggs

$6.70 DJF 1,190

$1.56 ¥10.66

329.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 DJF 1,653

$12.97 ¥88.9

-28.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.14 DJF 3,223

$3.25 ¥22.23

458.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.27 DJF 2,181

$10.51 ¥72.0

16.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 DJF 660

$1.81 ¥12.41

105.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 DJF 222

$1.30 ¥8.90

-3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 DJF 514

$1.50 ¥10.26

92.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 DJF 279

$1.15 ¥7.87

36.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 DJF 215

$0.76 ¥5.20

59.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 DJF 251

$0.89 ¥6.07

58.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.79 DJF 1,030

$0.58 ¥3.97

898.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 DJF 104

$0.58 ¥3.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 DJF 487

$3.50 ¥23.95

-21.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.29 DJF 3,784

$11.55 ¥79.1

84.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 DJF 422

$0.78 ¥5.31

205.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 DJF 618

$1.61 ¥11.03

116.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 DJF 51.9

$0.44 ¥3.01

-34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 DJF 3,792

$21.15 ¥145

0.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 DJF 512

$1.36 ¥9.35

111.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.59 DJF 993

$0.36 ¥2.44

1452.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 DJF 5,065

$6.61 ¥45.28

331.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 DJF 300

$1.13 ¥7.74

49.56%

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

$33.5K DJF 5.9M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

69.52%

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

$32.5K DJF 5.8M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

89.98%

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

$530 DJF 94.2K

$50.9 ¥349

941.13%

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

$31.88 DJF 5,666

$10.03 ¥68.7

217.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 DJF 10.4K

$11.33 ¥77.6

418.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 DJF 15.3K

$40.13 ¥275

113.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.05 DJF 4,274

$14.97 ¥103

60.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 DJF 1,484

$6.09 ¥41.74

37.11%

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

$336 DJF 59.7K

$418 ¥2,860

-19.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,720 DJF 1.5M

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-49.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.24 DJF 7,507

$46.40 ¥318

-8.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.48 DJF 3,463

$32.92 ¥226

-40.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 DJF 22.3K

$71.1 ¥487

76.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 DJF 9,830

$72.9 ¥499

-24.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 DJF 257.0K

$438 ¥3,003

229.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 DJF 85.7K

$259 ¥1,775

86.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 DJF 180.2K

$926 ¥6,341

9.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 DJF 260.2K

$548 ¥3,754

167.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.9K DJF 2.3M

$5,047 ¥34.6K

155.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,002 DJF 1.1M

$2,666 ¥18.3K

125.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 DJF 502.5K

$1,074 ¥7,357

163.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.6

4.06

136.45%

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

Last update for Djibouti: April 28, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $704 in Djibouti, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,408 in Djibouti vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,858 in Djibouti, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 146% higher in Djibouti.

Dining out costs 95% more in Djibouti.

Public transport is 64% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 243% higher in Djibouti, giving Djibouti 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

Djibouti vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $1,006 in Djibouti, there's a 15% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China 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 Djibouti beats 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 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. China wins on affordability; Djibouti may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.