Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between France and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,962 in France, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in France
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France Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

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🇫🇷 France

$1,962

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in France and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in France and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,962 in France versus $791 in China.

France $1,962
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,999 in France versus $1,251 in China.

France $2,999
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,037 in France versus $1,711 in China.

France $4,037
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in France: monthly costs span $1,181 to $2,732, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in France.

Living in France is roughly 148% more expensive than in China on average.

France (44% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.74 €14.99

$2.98 ¥19.81

461.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 €59.5

$22.09 ¥147

200.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 €12.20

$5.20 ¥34.60

161.92%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.54

$2.97 ¥19.74

33.00%

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

$3.42 €3.06

$0.48 ¥3.19

612.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.85

$0.30 ¥2.01

586.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €6.16

$1.08 ¥7.18

537.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.89

$2.28 ¥15.15

139.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.80 ¥11.96

-27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.82

$1.68 ¥11.15

20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$0.92 ¥6.13

180.43%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.89

$1.61 ¥10.73

169.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.75 €17.69

$13.38 ¥89.0

47.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.45 €12.05

$3.35 ¥22.28

301.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.73 €19.46

$11.35 ¥75.5

91.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 €2.72

$1.82 ¥12.12

67.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.31 ¥8.69

74.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 €2.60

$1.49 ¥9.89

94.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 €3.18

$1.27 ¥8.47

179.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$0.71 ¥4.73

208.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 €2.14

$0.93 ¥6.21

156.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.42

$0.62 ¥4.12

154.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.56 ¥3.74

44.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.70 €12.27

$3.78 ¥25.15

262.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.21

$12.13 ¥80.7

-33.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.38

$0.83 ¥5.54

220.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.73

$1.68 ¥11.21

81.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.86

$0.29 ¥1.91

613.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 €53.3

$17.83 ¥119

233.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.52

$1.49 ¥9.89

238.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 €1.87

$0.37 ¥2.49

464.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.96 €33.10

$7.10 ¥47.23

420.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.26 ¥8.37

67.46%

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

$35.2K €31.5K

$19.4K ¥129.4K

80.89%

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

$37.3K €33.4K

$17.5K ¥116.7K

112.87%

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

$220 €197

$54.6 ¥363

302.64%

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

$19.75 €17.69

$8.73 ¥58.1

126.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 €30.77

$11.07 ¥73.6

210.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.58 €31.86

$40.77 ¥271

-12.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.37 €18.24

$14.48 ¥96.4

40.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 €12.07

$6.78 ¥45.12

98.67%

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

$898 €804

$517 ¥3,437

73.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €11.0K

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-37.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.8

$46.53 ¥310

117.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.51 €40.76

$35.66 ¥237

27.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.4

$77.0 ¥512

36.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$80.3 ¥534

72.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 €786

$386 ¥2,567

127.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 €629

$235 ¥1,561

199.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 €1,394

$822 ¥5,469

89.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 €1,117

$453 ¥3,015

175.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,494 €4,921

$4,697 ¥31.3K

16.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 €3,384

$2,372 ¥15.8K

59.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,716 €2,432

$1,093 ¥7,274

148.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.46

9.25%

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

Last update for France: October 27, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

France

$703 35.8%

China

$235 29.6% 66.6% $468

Groceries & Markets

France

$374 19.1%

China

$210 26.5% 43.8% $164

Eating Out

France

$289 14.8%

China

$88 11.1% 69.6% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

France

$274 14%

China

$74 9.4% 72.8% $199

Clothing & Footwear

France

$176 9%

China

$108 13.6% 38.7% $68

Getting Around

France

$83 4.3%

China

$22 2.8% 73.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

France

$63 3.2%

China

$54 6.9% 13.1% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $810 in France, $298 in China. Capital cities: $1,622 in Paris vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,718 in France, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 172% higher in France.

Dining out costs 191% more in France.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in France.

Salaries are about 3.1 times higher in France, and purchasing power comes out stronger in France.

Good to know

🇫🇷 France

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

7 h ahead of France

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,373,433

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

France China 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

France
China

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

France vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,962 in France, China comes out about 60% cheaper. 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 cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $810 in France and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in France 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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.