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: $1,012 in Djibouti versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,669 in Djibouti versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,325 in Djibouti versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Djibouti is roughly 42% more expensive than China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.05 DJF 1,789

$2.86 ¥19.36

251.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.8 DJF 14.7K

$23.29 ¥158

255.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 DJF 2,212

$4.83 ¥32.66

157.35%

Cappuccino

$3.67 DJF 653

$3.04 ¥20.52

20.72%

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

$1.92 DJF 342

$0.45 ¥3.03

326.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 DJF 341

$0.27 ¥1.81

611.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 DJF 1,028

$0.99 ¥6.71

483.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.38 DJF 1,492

$2.03 ¥13.74

312.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 DJF 445

$1.75 ¥11.86

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$9.53 DJF 1,696

$1.67 ¥11.31

470.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 DJF 676

$0.97 ¥6.56

291.75%

Eggs

$6.76 DJF 1,203

$1.54 ¥10.45

338.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 DJF 1,696

$13.30 ¥89.9

-28.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.44 DJF 3,282

$3.21 ¥21.69

474.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.34 DJF 2,196

$10.79 ¥73.0

14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 DJF 685

$1.81 ¥12.27

112.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 DJF 215

$1.31 ¥8.84

-7.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 DJF 506

$1.50 ¥10.15

89.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 DJF 289

$1.14 ¥7.74

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 DJF 223

$0.73 ¥4.90

71.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 DJF 241

$0.87 ¥5.86

55.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.79 DJF 1,030

$0.57 ¥3.85

915.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 DJF 96.0

$0.54 ¥3.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 DJF 479

$3.53 ¥23.88

-23.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.75 DJF 3,692

$11.71 ¥79.2

77.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 DJF 414

$0.84 ¥5.67

176.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 DJF 636

$1.67 ¥11.29

114.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 DJF 51.7

$0.41 ¥2.75

-29.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.15 DJF 3,763

$20.78 ¥141

1.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 DJF 511

$1.36 ¥9.21

111.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.50 DJF 978

$0.33 ¥2.21

1566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.08 DJF 4,997

$6.86 ¥46.40

309.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 DJF 304

$1.12 ¥7.57

52.68%

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

$33.8K DJF 6.0M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

76.04%

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

$33.5K DJF 6.0M

$16.9K ¥114.4K

98.22%

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

$512 DJF 91.1K

$51.8 ¥350

888.17%

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

$32.08 DJF 5,708

$9.85 ¥66.6

225.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 DJF 10.6K

$11.13 ¥75.3

437.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.6 DJF 15.2K

$39.10 ¥264

118.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 DJF 4,206

$14.89 ¥101

58.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 DJF 1,519

$6.25 ¥42.24

36.48%

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

$340 DJF 60.4K

$404 ¥2,732

-15.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,698 DJF 1.5M

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-51.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.92 DJF 7,460

$46.11 ¥312

-9.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.02 DJF 3,563

$32.27 ¥218

-37.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 DJF 21.9K

$72.7 ¥491

69.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 DJF 9,825

$72.9 ¥493

-24.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 DJF 256.4K

$445 ¥3,009

223.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 DJF 83.8K

$255 ¥1,727

84.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 DJF 173.9K

$927 ¥6,266

5.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 DJF 268.4K

$532 ¥3,600

183.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.5K DJF 2.2M

$4,943 ¥33.4K

153.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,032 DJF 1.1M

$2,492 ¥16.9K

142.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 DJF 506.5K

$1,057 ¥7,148

169.24%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $706 in Djibouti, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,412 in Djibouti vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,833 in Djibouti, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 147% higher in Djibouti.

Dining out costs 90% more in Djibouti.

Public transport is 80% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 229% 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 $871 per month in China and $1,012 in Djibouti, there's a 16% 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.