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: $1,853 in France versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,836 in France versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,819 in France versus $1,550 in China.

Living in France is roughly 160% more expensive than in China on average.

France (39% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in France: monthly costs span $1,465 to $2,823, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in France.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 €15.01

$2.86 ¥19.35

500.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €61.3

$23.44 ¥159

199.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 €11.08

$4.84 ¥32.75

161.98%

Cappuccino

$3.65 €3.19

$3.11 ¥21.06

17.36%

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

$3.24 €2.83

$0.44 ¥3.00

636.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.95

$0.29 ¥1.99

668.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.16

$0.98 ¥6.64

618.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.98

$2.05 ¥13.88

178.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.84 ¥12.47

-28.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.62 ¥10.94

22.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.27

$0.93 ¥6.28

178.49%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.75

$1.63 ¥11.03

163.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 €18.12

$13.15 ¥89.0

57.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 €12.13

$3.26 ¥22.09

326.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.13 €18.47

$10.62 ¥71.9

98.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.73

$1.80 ¥12.19

73.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.08

$1.30 ¥8.77

83.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 €2.68

$1.46 ¥9.90

110.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.14

$1.20 ¥8.15

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$0.76 ¥5.14

219.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 €2.20

$0.88 ¥5.93

185.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.57 ¥3.86

171.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.54 ¥3.63

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.06 €12.28

$3.42 ¥23.17

311.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 €7.00

$11.75 ¥79.5

-31.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.22

$0.80 ¥5.40

217.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.75

$1.62 ¥10.95

94.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.94

$0.43 ¥2.94

416.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 €62.2

$20.47 ¥139

247.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 €4.79

$1.36 ¥9.24

302.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 €1.70

$0.35 ¥2.39

457.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.82 €32.17

$6.50 ¥43.97

466.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.12 ¥7.59

86.61%

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

$38.2K €33.4K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

96.25%

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

$36.7K €32.0K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

117.47%

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

$209 €183

$51.7 ¥350

304.62%

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

$25.77 €22.51

$10.17 ¥68.8

153.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.50 €30.14

$11.16 ¥75.5

209.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 €33.33

$39.62 ¥268

-3.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 €16.54

$14.53 ¥98.3

30.28%

Cinema Ticket

$13.87 €12.12

$6.38 ¥43.19

117.40%

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

$812 €710

$407 ¥2,756

99.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.3K

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-34.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €91.2

$45.53 ¥308

129.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.80 €39.14

$32.31 ¥219

38.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €92.8

$72.6 ¥491

46.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €124

$74.4 ¥504

91.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 €786

$443 ¥2,996

103.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €597

$258 ¥1,747

164.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,429

$910 ¥6,162

79.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 €1,119

$543 ¥3,677

135.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,465 €4,775

$4,934 ¥33.4K

10.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,707 €3,239

$2,398 ¥16.2K

54.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,735 €2,390

$1,065 ¥7,205

156.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

4.06

-9.85%

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

Last update for France: July 11, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $792 in France, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,607 in Paris vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,771 in France, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 176% higher in France.

Dining out costs 190% more in France.

Public transport is 178% more expensive in France.

Salaries are 224% 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 $862 per month in China and $2,144 in France, there's a 149% 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.