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: $1,315 in Estonia versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,015 in Estonia versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Estonia versus $1,551 in China.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Estonia 2% lower, China 47% lower.

Estonia ($1,046–$1,883) and China ($535–$1,206) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.47 €13.33

$2.86 ¥19.36

440.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 €64.1

$23.29 ¥158

219.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.85

$4.83 ¥32.66

112.63%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.41

$3.04 ¥20.52

30.26%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.45 ¥3.03

520.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$0.27 ¥1.81

792.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 €5.03

$0.99 ¥6.71

489.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$2.03 ¥13.74

179.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.75 ¥11.86

-29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.67 ¥11.31

-14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.97 ¥6.56

172.16%

Eggs

$2.82 €2.43

$1.54 ¥10.45

83.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 €10.95

$13.30 ¥89.9

-4.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 €7.79

$3.21 ¥21.69

181.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.39 €16.71

$10.79 ¥73.0

79.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.81 ¥12.27

18.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.31 ¥8.84

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.50 ¥10.15

68.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 €2.61

$1.14 ¥7.74

165.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$0.73 ¥4.90

64.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 €0.82

$0.87 ¥5.86

9.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.57 ¥3.85

254.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.54 ¥3.63

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 €5.87

$3.53 ¥23.88

92.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.35 €8.92

$11.71 ¥79.2

-11.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.61

$0.84 ¥5.67

122.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.67 ¥11.29

37.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.00

$0.41 ¥2.75

468.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.92 €30.09

$20.78 ¥141

68.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.36 ¥9.21

152.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.33 ¥2.21

157.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.58 €15.14

$6.86 ¥46.40

156.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.12 ¥7.57

67.86%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

64.80%

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

$32.5K €28.0K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

92.06%

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

$332 €286

$51.8 ¥350

540.94%

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

$20.83 €17.94

$9.85 ¥66.6

111.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.37 €29.61

$11.13 ¥75.3

208.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €46.06

$39.10 ¥264

36.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.26 €26.07

$14.89 ¥101

103.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.59 €9.99

$6.25 ¥42.24

85.44%

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

$347 €299

$404 ¥2,732

-14.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,281 €7,996

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-47.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €97.3

$46.11 ¥312

145.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.78 €38.58

$32.27 ¥218

38.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.3

$72.7 ¥491

39.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$72.9 ¥493

75.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 €611

$445 ¥3,009

59.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 €438

$255 ¥1,727

99.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,045

$927 ¥6,266

30.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 €767

$532 ¥3,600

67.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,191 €3,611

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-15.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 €2,703

$2,492 ¥16.9K

25.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,935 €1,667

$1,057 ¥7,148

83.03%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $269 in Estonia, $286 in China. Capital cities: $820 in Tallinn vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,480 in Estonia, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 6% higher in China.

Dining out costs 233% more in Estonia.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 72% higher in Estonia.

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 $871 per month in China and $1,465 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.

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 Estonia 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 Estonia, 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; Estonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.