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: $1,016 in Djibouti versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,652 in Djibouti versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Djibouti versus $1,549 in China.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Djibouti 24% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 DJF 1,747

$2.77 ¥18.71

254.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 DJF 14.4K

$24.05 ¥162

236.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.50 DJF 2,222

$4.73 ¥31.91

164.27%

Cappuccino

$3.58 DJF 636

$3.08 ¥20.77

16.23%

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

$1.85 DJF 329

$0.44 ¥2.99

320.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 DJF 341

$0.29 ¥1.98

562.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 DJF 976

$1.01 ¥6.80

443.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 DJF 1,520

$2.08 ¥14.02

311.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 DJF 443

$1.83 ¥12.38

36.07%

White Bread (500g)

$9.06 DJF 1,610

$1.62 ¥10.94

459.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 DJF 681

$0.97 ¥6.58

294.85%

Eggs

$6.94 DJF 1,235

$1.61 ¥10.90

331.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 DJF 1,658

$13.34 ¥90.1

-30.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.44 DJF 3,278

$3.37 ¥22.74

447.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.24 DJF 2,176

$10.68 ¥72.1

14.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 DJF 669

$1.81 ¥12.25

107.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 DJF 212

$1.25 ¥8.43

-4.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 DJF 505

$1.46 ¥9.88

94.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 DJF 280

$1.15 ¥7.73

36.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 DJF 223

$0.73 ¥4.91

71.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 DJF 237

$0.89 ¥5.99

49.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.67 DJF 1,009

$0.60 ¥4.05

845.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 DJF 102

$0.53 ¥3.58

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 DJF 477

$3.39 ¥22.91

-20.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.91 DJF 3,718

$11.73 ¥79.2

78.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 DJF 413

$0.77 ¥5.22

201.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 DJF 633

$1.63 ¥10.97

118.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 DJF 47.70

$0.41 ¥2.77

-34.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.16 DJF 3,762

$21.24 ¥143

-0.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 DJF 505

$1.35 ¥9.12

110.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.48 DJF 974

$0.36 ¥2.40

1422.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.64 DJF 4,914

$6.70 ¥45.23

312.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 DJF 314

$1.18 ¥7.98

50.00%

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

$34.2K DJF 6.1M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

73.28%

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

$32.4K DJF 5.8M

$16.5K ¥111.6K

96.18%

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

$532 DJF 94.5K

$51.7 ¥349

927.41%

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

$31.68 DJF 5,633

$10.09 ¥68.1

213.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 DJF 10.7K

$11.38 ¥76.8

429.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.6 DJF 15.0K

$39.24 ¥265

115.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.51 DJF 4,179

$14.84 ¥100

58.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 DJF 1,537

$6.30 ¥42.53

37.14%

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

$336 DJF 59.8K

$414 ¥2,793

-18.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,732 DJF 1.6M

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-49.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 DJF 7,657

$46.77 ¥316

-7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.10 DJF 3,572

$33.08 ¥223

-39.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 DJF 21.8K

$70.9 ¥479

73.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 DJF 9,861

$74.5 ¥503

-25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 DJF 255.8K

$440 ¥2,971

226.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 DJF 83.6K

$253 ¥1,706

86.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 DJF 175.2K

$911 ¥6,150

8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 DJF 267.5K

$531 ¥3,582

183.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K DJF 2.3M

$4,778 ¥32.3K

165.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,087 DJF 1.1M

$2,403 ¥16.2K

153.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,833 DJF 503.7K

$1,058 ¥7,140

167.85%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $728 in Djibouti, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,455 in Djibouti vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,869 in Djibouti, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 154% higher in Djibouti.

Dining out costs 95% more in Djibouti.

Public transport is 64% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 235% 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 $873 per month in China and $1,017 in Djibouti, there's a 17% 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.