For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,489 in Gabon, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gabon and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,489 in Gabon versus $791 in China.
Gabon $1,489
China $791
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,449 in Gabon versus $1,251 in China.
Gabon $2,449
China $1,251
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,409 in Gabon versus $1,711 in China.
Gabon $3,409
China $1,711
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $1,500–$1,500 in Gabon. City choice carries more weight in China.
🌍
Living in Gabon is roughly 88% more expensive than in China on average.
📊
Gabon (9% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Gabon
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.70FCFA 9,839
$2.98¥19.84
460.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.3FCFA 40.8K
$22.09¥147
213.49%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$15.52FCFA 9,139
$5.20¥34.66
198.46%
Cappuccino
$6.01FCFA 3,541
$2.97¥19.77
102.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71FCFA 1,010
$0.48¥3.19
256.25%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38FCFA 812
$0.30¥2.01
360.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.04FCFA 610
$1.08¥7.19
-3.70%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89FCFA 1,112
$2.28¥15.18
-17.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gabon
China
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$3.44FCFA 2,027
$1.80¥11.98
91.11%
White Bread(500g)
$1.20FCFA 708
$1.68¥11.17
-28.57%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.82FCFA 1,664
$0.92¥6.14
206.52%
Eggs
$4.37FCFA 2,576
$1.61¥10.75
171.43%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.17FCFA 5,991
$13.38¥89.2
-23.99%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.66FCFA 5,102
$3.35¥22.31
158.51%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$25.74FCFA 15.2K
$11.35¥75.7
126.78%
Apples(1kg)
$3.06FCFA 1,801
$1.82¥12.14
68.13%
Banana(1kg)
$3.79FCFA 2,233
$1.31¥8.71
189.31%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.72FCFA 2,188
$1.49¥9.91
149.66%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.46FCFA 2,037
$1.27¥8.49
172.44%
Potato(1kg)
$2.99FCFA 1,763
$0.71¥4.74
321.13%
Onion(1kg)
$4.30FCFA 2,532
$0.93¥6.22
362.37%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.18FCFA 1,286
$0.62¥4.12
251.61%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66FCFA 980
$0.56¥3.75
196.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.50FCFA 1,472
$3.78¥25.19
-33.86%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.61FCFA 6,837
$12.13¥80.9
-4.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.96FCFA 565
$0.83¥5.55
15.66%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27FCFA 747
$1.68¥11.23
-24.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Gabon
China
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.36FCFA 210
$0.29¥1.92
24.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$34.41FCFA 20.3K
$17.83¥119
92.99%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.27FCFA 748
$1.49¥9.91
-14.77%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.73FCFA 429
$0.37¥2.50
97.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$17.18FCFA 10.1K
$7.10¥47.31
141.97%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.04FCFA 613
$1.26¥8.39
-17.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.2KFCFA 17.2M
$19.4K¥129.6K
50.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2KFCFA 13.1M
$17.5K¥116.9K
26.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gabon
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$85.7FCFA 50.5K
$54.6¥364
57.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.87FCFA 19.9K
$8.73¥58.2
287.97%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.6FCFA 38.1K
$11.07¥73.8
483.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gabon
China
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$63.4FCFA 37.3K
$40.77¥272
55.41%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.97FCFA 15.3K
$14.48¥96.5
79.35%
Cinema Ticket
$4.59FCFA 2,702
$6.78¥45.19
-32.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gabon
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$171FCFA 101.0K
$517¥3,443
-66.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,599FCFA 3.3M
$19.8K¥132.0K
-71.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gabon
China
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.8FCFA 50.0K
$46.53¥310
82.29%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.50FCFA 25.0K
$35.66¥238
19.18%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$51.5FCFA 30.4K
$77.0¥513
-33.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102FCFA 59.9K
$80.3¥535
26.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gabon
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,007FCFA 593.1K
$386¥2,572
161.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$418FCFA 246.2K
$235¥1,563
78.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,105FCFA 1.2M
$822¥5,478
156.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$861FCFA 506.9K
$453¥3,020
89.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,621FCFA 2.1M
$4,697¥31.3K
-22.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,758FCFA 1.6M
$2,372¥15.8K
16.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gabon
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$431FCFA 253.7K
$1,093¥7,286
-60.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.5
3.46
232.37%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Gabon: October 25, 2026
Last update for China: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Gabon
$418 28.1%
China
$235 29.6% ↓ 43.9%$184
🛒Groceries & Markets
Gabon
$373 25.1%
China
$210 26.5% ↓ 43.7%$163
🍽Eating Out
Gabon
$274 18.4%
China
$88 11.1% ↓ 67.8%$186
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gabon
$184 12.4%
China
$74 9.4% ↓ 59.6%$110
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Gabon
$126 8.5%
China
$108 13.6% ↓ 14.7%$19
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Gabon
$73 4.9%
China
$54 6.9% ↓ 25.1%$18
🚌Getting Around
Gabon
$41 2.7%
China
$22 2.8% ↓ 45.2%$18
🏠Accommodation & Living
Gabon
$861 25.2%
China
$453 26.5% ↓ 47.4%$408
🛒Groceries & Markets
Gabon
$893 26.2%
China
$483 28.3% ↓ 45.9%$410
🍽Eating Out
Gabon
$903 26.5%
China
$284 16.6% ↓ 68.6%$620
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gabon
$218 6.4%
China
$83 4.9% ↓ 61.9%$135
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Gabon
$281 8.2%
China
$239 14% ↓ 14.7%$41
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Gabon
$171 5%
China
$123 7.2% ↓ 28%$48
🚌Getting Around
Gabon
$82 2.4%
China
$45 2.6% ↓ 45%$37
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $1,028 in Gabon, $298 in China. Capital cities: $1,028 in Libreville vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).
💰National salary averages: $417 in Gabon, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 245% higher in Gabon.
⭐Dining out costs 209% more in Gabon.
⭐Public transport is 89% more expensive in Gabon.
⭐Salaries are about 2.1 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in 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
Gabon vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Gabon?
At $791 per month in China and $1,489 in Gabon, there’s a 88% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: China or Gabon?
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.
How do rents compare between China and Gabon?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,028 in Gabon and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in China and in Gabon?
It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability; Gabon may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.