Cost of Living Comparison Between Finland and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Finland and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,804 in Finland versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,796 in Finland versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Finland versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Finland is roughly 153% more expensive than China on average.

Finland (35% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Finland ($1,436–$2,225) and China ($532–$1,187) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.38 €13.97

$2.75 ¥18.80

495.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 €78.2

$24.07 ¥165

281.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 €9.97

$4.84 ¥33.11

141.53%

Cappuccino

$4.98 €4.25

$2.97 ¥20.29

67.68%

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

$2.79 €2.38

$0.45 ¥3.05

520.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.68

$0.29 ¥2.00

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 €7.00

$1.00 ¥6.85

721.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 €7.08

$2.06 ¥14.11

302.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.08

$1.82 ¥12.46

-30.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 €2.24

$1.62 ¥11.07

61.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 €2.34

$0.91 ¥6.20

201.10%

Eggs

$3.46 €2.95

$1.54 ¥10.55

124.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 €7.51

$13.32 ¥91.1

-33.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 €12.01

$3.27 ¥22.38

330.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.50 €19.19

$10.56 ¥72.2

113.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.76 ¥12.01

44.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.30 ¥8.91

56.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.07

$1.45 ¥9.93

67.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 €3.72

$1.19 ¥8.16

266.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.10

$0.71 ¥4.83

81.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.91 ¥6.23

107.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 €1.96

$0.57 ¥3.89

301.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.65

$0.53 ¥3.65

264.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.38 €10.56

$3.50 ¥23.97

253.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 €13.01

$11.85 ¥81.1

28.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 €2.84

$0.84 ¥5.72

296.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 €3.17

$1.68 ¥11.49

121.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 €3.04

$0.44 ¥3.00

711.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.0 €59.7

$20.76 ¥142

237.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 €7.21

$1.36 ¥9.28

521.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 €1.24

$0.35 ¥2.43

317.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.0 €56.3

$6.65 ¥45.47

892.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.85

$1.17 ¥7.99

85.47%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$19.1K ¥130.8K

80.73%

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

$35.7K €30.5K

$17.1K ¥117.2K

108.47%

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

$143 €122

$52.0 ¥355

174.83%

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

$30.02 €25.61

$9.65 ¥66.0

211.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.28 €21.56

$11.16 ¥76.3

126.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.94 €38.34

$40.48 ¥277

11.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.42 €24.24

$14.75 ¥101

92.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.47 €14.90

$6.35 ¥43.45

175.12%

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

$359 €306

$410 ¥2,803

-12.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €8,753

$17.8K ¥121.8K

-42.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €86.7

$46.08 ¥315

120.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.59 €35.48

$32.86 ¥225

26.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.4

$71.2 ¥487

42.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €119

$75.3 ¥515

85.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 €765

$430 ¥2,942

108.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 €617

$261 ¥1,784

177.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,331

$914 ¥6,254

70.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 €999

$542 ¥3,711

115.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,988 €4,255

$5,177 ¥35.4K

-3.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,315 €2,828

$2,630 ¥18.0K

26.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,163 €2,698

$1,060 ¥7,250

198.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.06

-6.16%

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

Last update for Finland: April 21, 2026

Last update for China: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $775 in Finland, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,216 in Helsinki vs $891 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,991 in Finland, $833 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 170% higher in Finland.

Dining out costs 319% more in Finland.

Public transport is 272% more expensive in Finland.

Salaries are 259% higher in Finland, giving Finland stronger purchasing power.

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

Finland vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $860 per month in China and $1,831 in Finland, there's a 113% 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 Finland 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 Finland, 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; Finland may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.