Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Salvador and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,482 in El Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in El Salvador
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El Salvador Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,482

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,482 in El Salvador versus $791 in China.

El Salvador $1,482
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,112 in El Salvador versus $1,251 in China.

El Salvador $2,112
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,742 in El Salvador versus $1,711 in China.

El Salvador $2,742
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in El Salvador: monthly costs span $207 to $1,812, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in El Salvador.

Living in El Salvador is roughly 87% more expensive than in China on average.

El Salvador (9% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.92 $6.92

$2.98 ¥19.79

132.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.49 $45.49

$22.09 ¥147

105.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 $6.84

$5.20 ¥34.56

31.54%

Cappuccino

$3.57 $3.57

$2.97 ¥19.72

20.20%

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

$1.14 $1.14

$0.48 ¥3.19

137.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.30 ¥2.00

183.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.08 ¥7.17

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.28 ¥15.13

57.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.80 ¥11.95

2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.68 ¥11.14

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.92 ¥6.13

71.74%

Eggs

$2.74 $2.74

$1.61 ¥10.72

70.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$13.38 ¥89.0

-45.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.35 ¥22.25

78.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.16 $9.16

$11.35 ¥75.5

-19.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.82 ¥12.11

110.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.31 ¥8.68

29.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.49 ¥9.88

94.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.27 ¥8.46

125.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.71 ¥4.73

309.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.93 ¥6.21

152.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.62 ¥4.11

56.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.56 ¥3.74

78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.78 ¥25.13

4.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 $11.76

$12.13 ¥80.7

-3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.83 ¥5.53

132.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.68 ¥11.20

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.29 ¥1.91

24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.83 $31.83

$17.83 ¥119

78.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 $6.57

$1.49 ¥9.88

340.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.37 ¥2.49

691.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.66 $19.66

$7.10 ¥47.19

176.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.26 ¥8.36

-3.17%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$19.4K ¥129.3K

29.23%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$17.5K ¥116.6K

60.00%

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

$115 $115

$54.6 ¥363

111.60%

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

$22.61 $22.61

$8.73 ¥58.1

158.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 $40.70

$11.07 ¥73.6

267.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.90 $29.90

$40.77 ¥271

-26.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 $17.02

$14.48 ¥96.3

17.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 $5.14

$6.78 ¥45.07

-24.19%

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

$168 $168

$517 ¥3,434

-67.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,369 $4,369

$19.8K ¥131.7K

-77.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 $62.9

$46.53 ¥309

35.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.82 $48.82

$35.66 ¥237

36.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$77.0 ¥512

55.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$80.3 ¥533

31.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$745 $745

$386 ¥2,565

93.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 $652

$235 ¥1,559

177.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$822 ¥5,463

54.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 $882

$453 ¥3,012

94.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 $2,727

$4,697 ¥31.2K

-41.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,550 $1,550

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-34.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 $433

$1,093 ¥7,267

-60.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.48

3.46

145.09%

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

Last update for El Salvador: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

El Salvador

$652 44%

China

$235 29.6% 64% $417

Groceries & Markets

El Salvador

$261 17.6%

China

$210 26.5% 19.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Salvador

$179 12.1%

China

$74 9.4% 58.4% $104

Clothing & Footwear

El Salvador

$151 10.2%

China

$108 13.6% 28.9% $44

Eating Out

El Salvador

$144 9.7%

China

$88 11.1% 38.9% $56

Getting Around

El Salvador

$55 3.7%

China

$22 2.8% 59% $32

Sport & Entertainment

El Salvador

$40 2.7%

China

$54 6.9% 35.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $619 in El Salvador, $298 in China. Capital cities: $893 in San Salvador vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $571 in El Salvador, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 108% higher in El Salvador.

Dining out costs 91% more in El Salvador.

Public transport is 44% more expensive in El Salvador.

Salaries are 53% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇸🇻 El Salvador

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

09:18 9:18 AM

14 h ahead of El Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,029,976

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

El Salvador China 13,490 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

El Salvador
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

El Salvador vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,482 in El Salvador, China comes out about 47% cheaper. 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 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.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $619 in El Salvador and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.