Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $2,056 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,056

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Germany 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 Germany and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Germany versus $793 in China.

Germany $2,056
China $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,129 in Germany versus $1,261 in China.

Germany $3,129
China $1,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,202 in Germany versus $1,730 in China.

Germany $4,202
China $1,730

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,329 to $2,658, compared to $466–$1,244 in China. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Living in Germany is roughly 159% more expensive than in China on average.

Germany (52% above) and China (41% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.62 €14.79

$2.96 ¥19.76

461.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 €64.6

$22.74 ¥152

219.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.24 €10.89

$5.34 ¥35.70

129.21%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.63

$3.04 ¥20.35

34.21%

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

$3.37 €3.00

$0.48 ¥3.22

602.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.67

$0.28 ¥1.85

975.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 €4.36

$1.03 ¥6.92

375.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 €3.90

$2.27 ¥15.16

92.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.80 ¥12.02

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.69 ¥11.28

24.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$1.00 ¥6.69

237.00%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.48

$1.56 ¥10.42

150.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.23 €12.66

$13.44 ¥89.8

5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 €10.49

$3.48 ¥23.28

238.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.95 €18.64

$11.49 ¥76.8

82.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.83

$1.79 ¥12.00

77.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.26 ¥8.41

63.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.48 ¥9.92

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.68

$1.31 ¥8.76

216.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.30

$0.72 ¥4.84

102.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.93 ¥6.24

53.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.42

$0.61 ¥4.11

162.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.95

$0.58 ¥3.89

82.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 €8.61

$3.84 ¥25.65

151.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 €5.31

$11.87 ¥79.4

-49.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.86 ¥5.72

31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.69 ¥11.33

-4.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.90 €3.47

$0.31 ¥2.07

1158.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 €62.9

$22.36 ¥150

216.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 €4.78

$1.47 ¥9.82

265.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 €2.50

$0.38 ¥2.53

639.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.76 €34.48

$7.03 ¥47.04

451.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.88

$1.24 ¥8.32

70.97%

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

$32.9K €29.3K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

71.05%

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

$37.7K €33.5K

$17.3K ¥115.6K

117.72%

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

$338 €301

$54.3 ¥363

523.12%

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

$25.29 €22.49

$8.34 ¥55.7

203.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.19 €42.86

$10.77 ¥72.0

347.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.85 €36.34

$40.39 ¥270

1.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.91 €24.83

$14.77 ¥98.8

88.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.64 €13.02

$6.89 ¥46.08

112.48%

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

$564 €502

$457 ¥3,057

23.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.4K

$20.1K ¥134.2K

-13.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 €80.5

$45.10 ¥302

100.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.21 €38.44

$35.65 ¥238

21.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €88.3

$77.9 ¥521

27.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$78.0 ¥522

62.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 €816

$391 ¥2,615

134.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 €619

$232 ¥1,549

200.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 €1,476

$816 ¥5,457

103.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,165

$459 ¥3,070

185.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 €5,326

$4,585 ¥30.7K

30.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,049 €3,601

$2,309 ¥15.4K

75.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,321 €2,954

$1,084 ¥7,247

206.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.46

14.45%

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

Last update for Germany: October 12, 2026

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Germany

$696 33.8%

China

$232 29.2% 66.7% $464

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Germany

$412 20%

China

$73 9.3% 82.2% $338

Groceries & Markets

Germany

$333 16.2%

China

$211 26.6% 36.6% $122

Eating Out

Germany

$278 13.5%

China

$89 11.2% 68% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Germany

$162 7.9%

China

$107 13.4% 34.3% $56

Getting Around

Germany

$106 5.2%

China

$27 3.4% 74.5% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Germany

$70 3.4%

China

$54 6.8% 22.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $801 in Germany, $298 in China. Capital cities: $1,469 in Berlin vs $940 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,101 in Germany, $871 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 169% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 238% more in Germany.

Public transport is 288% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 256% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Germany

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

10:39 10:39 AM

6 h ahead of Germany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,358,845

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Germany China 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Germany
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

Germany vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $2,056 in Germany, there's a 159% 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 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 $801 in Germany 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 Germany 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; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.