Cost of Living Comparison Between Estonia and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Estonia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,312 in Estonia versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,018 in Estonia versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,724 in Estonia versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Estonia is roughly 84% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Estonia 1% lower, China 47% lower.

Estonia ($1,035–$1,898) and China ($533–$1,212) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.56 €13.48

$2.77 ¥18.71

461.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €66.4

$24.05 ¥162

218.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 €9.05

$4.73 ¥31.91

121.14%

Cappuccino

$3.93 €3.41

$3.08 ¥20.77

27.60%

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

$2.72 €2.35

$0.44 ¥2.99

518.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.10

$0.29 ¥1.98

737.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.14

$1.01 ¥6.80

488.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 €5.04

$2.08 ¥14.02

179.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.83 ¥12.38

-32.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.27

$1.62 ¥10.94

-9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$0.97 ¥6.58

172.16%

Eggs

$2.91 €2.52

$1.61 ¥10.90

80.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 €10.73

$13.34 ¥90.1

-7.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.04

$3.37 ¥22.74

175.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 €17.28

$10.68 ¥72.1

86.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.81 ¥12.25

13.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.25 ¥8.43

19.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.26

$1.46 ¥9.88

78.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 €2.64

$1.15 ¥7.73

165.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$0.73 ¥4.91

64.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 €0.83

$0.89 ¥5.99

7.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.60 ¥4.05

236.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.53 ¥3.58

101.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.72

$3.39 ¥22.91

94.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.26 €8.88

$11.73 ¥79.2

-12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.64

$0.77 ¥5.22

145.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.63 ¥10.97

40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.96

$0.41 ¥2.77

451.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.33 €29.73

$21.24 ¥143

61.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 €3.07

$1.35 ¥9.12

162.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.70

$0.36 ¥2.40

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.17 €14.87

$6.70 ¥45.23

156.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.18 ¥7.98

67.80%

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

$31.1K €27.0K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

57.59%

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

$32.9K €28.5K

$16.5K ¥111.6K

98.76%

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

$326 €282

$51.7 ¥349

530.29%

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

$20.71 €17.94

$10.09 ¥68.1

105.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.88 €29.34

$11.38 ¥76.8

197.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 €45.93

$39.24 ¥265

35.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.12 €26.09

$14.84 ¥100

102.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 €9.84

$6.30 ¥42.53

80.32%

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

$358 €310

$414 ¥2,793

-13.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,454 €8,187

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-45.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €98.7

$46.77 ¥316

143.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.99 €38.96

$33.08 ¥223

36.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$70.9 ¥479

42.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €112

$74.5 ¥503

73.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 €611

$440 ¥2,971

60.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 €441

$253 ¥1,706

101.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 €1,045

$911 ¥6,150

32.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 €762

$531 ¥3,582

65.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,108 €3,558

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-14.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,958 €2,562

$2,403 ¥16.2K

23.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,891 €1,638

$1,058 ¥7,140

78.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.06

19.70%

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

Last update for Estonia: July 27, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $268 in Estonia, $287 in China. Capital cities: $822 in Tallinn vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,439 in Estonia, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in China.

Dining out costs 238% more in Estonia.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 68% higher in Estonia, 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

Estonia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $1,467 in Estonia, there's a 68% 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 Estonia 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 Estonia 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; Estonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.