Cost of Living Comparison Between El Salvador and China Cost of Living Comparison Between El Salvador and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $886 in El Salvador versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,272 in El Salvador versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,657 in El Salvador versus $1,550 in China.

Living in El Salvador is roughly 24% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: El Salvador 34% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 $7.35

$2.86 ¥19.35

156.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.63 $29.63

$23.44 ¥159

26.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 $6.80

$4.84 ¥32.75

40.50%

Cappuccino

$3.28 $3.28

$3.11 ¥21.06

5.47%

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

$1.11 $1.11

$0.44 ¥3.00

152.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.29 ¥1.99

186.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.98 ¥6.64

109.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.05 ¥13.88

49.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.84 ¥12.47

-0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.62 ¥10.94

22.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.93 ¥6.28

68.82%

Eggs

$2.65 $2.65

$1.63 ¥11.03

62.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$13.15 ¥89.0

-42.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.26 ¥22.09

74.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.62 ¥71.9

-6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.80 ¥12.19

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.30 ¥8.77

46.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.46 ¥9.90

75.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.20 ¥8.15

127.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.76 ¥5.14

214.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.88 ¥5.93

151.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.57 ¥3.86

82.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.54 ¥3.63

107.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.42 ¥23.17

19.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 $11.83

$11.75 ¥79.5

0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.80 ¥5.40

107.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.62 ¥10.95

54.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.43 ¥2.94

-20.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.29 $29.29

$20.47 ¥139

43.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 $6.40

$1.36 ¥9.24

370.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.35 ¥2.39

734.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.15 $20.15

$6.50 ¥43.97

210.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.12 ¥7.59

-8.93%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

27.48%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

57.27%

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

$89.9 $89.9

$51.7 ¥350

73.91%

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

$19.82 $19.82

$10.17 ¥68.8

94.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.79 $40.79

$11.16 ¥75.5

265.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.25 $31.25

$39.62 ¥268

-21.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.31 $19.31

$14.53 ¥98.3

32.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 $4.93

$6.38 ¥43.19

-22.73%

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

$142 $142

$407 ¥2,756

-65.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,246 $4,246

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-76.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 $58.0

$45.53 ¥308

27.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.62 $40.62

$32.31 ¥219

25.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$72.6 ¥491

52.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 $96.0

$74.4 ¥504

29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 $679

$443 ¥2,996

53.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 $631

$258 ¥1,747

144.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 $1,081

$910 ¥6,162

18.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 $847

$543 ¥3,677

55.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 $2,666

$4,934 ¥33.4K

-45.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 $1,570

$2,398 ¥16.2K

-34.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 $445

$1,065 ¥7,205

-58.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.05

4.06

122.91%

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

Last update for El Salvador: July 12, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $296 in El Salvador, $287 in China. Capital cities: $834 in San Salvador vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $576 in El Salvador, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 29% more in El Salvador.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 48% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $862 per month in China and $879 in El Salvador, there's a 2% 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 El Salvador 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 El Salvador 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; El Salvador may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.