Cost of Living Comparison Between France and China Cost of Living Comparison Between France and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,882 in France versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,896 in France versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,910 in France versus $1,574 in China.

Living in France is roughly 162% more expensive than in China on average.

France (38% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in France: monthly costs span $1,155 to $2,831, compared to $455–$1,219 in China. City choice carries more weight in France.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 €15.04

$2.92 ¥19.58

491.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.7

$22.23 ¥149

213.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €11.89

$5.13 ¥34.33

166.08%

Cappuccino

$3.93 €3.42

$2.99 ¥20.03

31.44%

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

$3.41 €2.97

$0.52 ¥3.50

555.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.95

$0.28 ¥1.87

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.14

$1.05 ¥7.04

570.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.17

$2.26 ¥15.17

162.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.81 ¥12.11

-25.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.68 ¥11.23

25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.90 ¥6.05

206.67%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.82

$1.56 ¥10.43

181.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 €17.34

$13.24 ¥88.7

50.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.11 €12.29

$3.49 ¥23.39

304.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.54 €19.63

$11.23 ¥75.2

100.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.82

$1.86 ¥12.43

74.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.26 ¥8.47

90.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.63

$1.53 ¥10.22

96.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 €3.30

$1.26 ¥8.45

200.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$0.73 ¥4.91

208.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$0.88 ¥5.89

176.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$0.65 ¥4.33

152.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.58 ¥3.88

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 €12.38

$3.71 ¥24.84

283.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.93

$11.80 ¥79.0

-32.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.48

$0.85 ¥5.69

235.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.89

$1.67 ¥11.19

98.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.29 ¥1.92

644.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 €52.9

$22.67 ¥152

167.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 €4.37

$1.50 ¥10.07

234.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.93

$0.35 ¥2.32

534.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.58 €34.49

$7.29 ¥48.83

442.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.22 ¥8.18

75.41%

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

$36.1K €31.4K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

89.90%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$17.4K ¥116.2K

106.20%

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

$225 €196

$54.0 ¥361

316.45%

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

$20.49 €17.85

$8.41 ¥56.3

143.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.52 €30.08

$10.82 ¥72.4

219.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 €33.51

$40.41 ¥271

-4.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 €18.54

$14.63 ¥98.0

45.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 €12.14

$6.60 ¥44.17

111.21%

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

$900 €784

$452 ¥3,024

99.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.2K

$19.2K ¥128.8K

-33.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.1

$44.23 ¥296

138.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.73 €40.71

$35.46 ¥237

31.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.3

$74.7 ¥500

44.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €124

$78.6 ¥526

80.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 €780

$394 ¥2,641

127.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 €621

$243 ¥1,630

193.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 €1,362

$845 ¥5,659

85.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 €1,073

$481 ¥3,220

156.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,536 €4,823

$4,609 ¥30.9K

20.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,796 €3,307

$2,327 ¥15.6K

63.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,779 €2,421

$1,060 ¥7,098

162.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.77

3.47

8.65%

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

Last update for France: September 12, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $809 in France, $294 in China. Capital cities: $1,590 in Paris vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,799 in France, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 175% higher in France.

Dining out costs 214% more in France.

Public transport is 194% more expensive in France.

Salaries are 223% higher in France, and purchasing power comes out stronger in France.

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 $837 per month in China and $1,993 in France, there's a 138% 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 France 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 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; France may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.