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: $949 in El Salvador versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,377 in El Salvador versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,805 in El Salvador versus $1,576 in China.

Living in El Salvador is roughly 32% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: El Salvador 31% lower, China 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 $6.83

$2.93 ¥19.60

133.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.14 $45.14

$22.72 ¥152

98.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 $7.15

$5.07 ¥33.95

41.03%

Cappuccino

$3.63 $3.63

$2.94 ¥19.70

23.47%

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

$1.15 $1.15

$0.48 ¥3.21

139.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.30 ¥2.02

203.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.06 ¥7.10

92.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.25 ¥15.07

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.79 ¥11.99

-2.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.70 ¥11.35

38.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.96 ¥6.45

65.63%

Eggs

$2.74 $2.74

$1.61 ¥10.79

70.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 $7.35

$13.60 ¥91.1

-45.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.41 ¥22.84

75.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.96 $8.96

$11.07 ¥74.2

-19.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.81 ¥12.09

114.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.30 ¥8.74

37.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.48 ¥9.91

94.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.30 ¥8.72

122.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.72 ¥4.82

311.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.94 ¥6.31

151.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.61 ¥4.08

57.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.56 ¥3.73

69.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.67 ¥24.58

5.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 $12.01

$11.90 ¥79.7

0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.83 ¥5.56

134.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.65 ¥11.08

72.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$0.29 ¥1.92

17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.50 $34.50

$22.61 ¥151

52.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 $6.54

$1.45 ¥9.72

351.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 $3.09

$0.34 ¥2.31

808.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.84 $19.84

$7.27 ¥48.72

172.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.23 ¥8.26

-5.69%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

26.82%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

60.67%

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

$104 $104

$55.5 ¥371

87.23%

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

$22.39 $22.39

$8.51 ¥57.0

163.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.24 $40.24

$10.81 ¥72.4

272.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.40 $31.40

$40.02 ¥268

-21.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 $16.44

$14.80 ¥99.1

11.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 $5.02

$6.73 ¥45.09

-25.41%

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

$168 $168

$454 ¥3,042

-63.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,493 $4,493

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-77.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 $62.9

$44.95 ¥301

39.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 $50.0

$35.81 ¥240

39.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$76.8 ¥514

51.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$77.3 ¥518

32.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 $751

$385 ¥2,581

94.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 $650

$242 ¥1,623

168.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 $1,252

$837 ¥5,603

49.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$474 ¥3,177

81.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 $2,659

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-42.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 $1,559

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-32.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$431 $431

$1,062 ¥7,110

-59.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.48

3.47

144.38%

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

Last update for El Salvador: September 7, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $312 in El Salvador, $295 in China. Capital cities: $905 in San Salvador vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $567 in El Salvador, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 6% higher in El Salvador.

Dining out costs 67% more in El Salvador.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 53% 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 $852 per month in China and $903 in El Salvador, there's a 6% 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.