Cost of Living Comparison Between Greece and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Greece and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,461 in Greece versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,200 in Greece versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,938 in Greece versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Greece is roughly 105% more expensive than China on average.

Greece (9% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Greece: monthly costs span $1,142 to $2,128, compared to $535–$1,206 in China. City choice carries more weight in Greece.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.89

$2.86 ¥19.36

504.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €50.8

$23.29 ¥158

153.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.00

$4.83 ¥32.66

116.36%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.53

$3.04 ¥20.52

34.87%

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

$2.35 €2.03

$0.45 ¥3.03

422.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.53

$0.27 ¥1.81

129.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 €4.88

$0.99 ¥6.71

471.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.07

$2.03 ¥13.74

190.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.75 ¥11.86

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.67 ¥11.31

-16.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$0.97 ¥6.56

176.29%

Eggs

$4.44 €3.83

$1.54 ¥10.45

188.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 €12.01

$13.30 ¥89.9

4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.85 €9.35

$3.21 ¥21.69

238.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 €12.62

$10.79 ¥73.0

35.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.81 ¥12.27

14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.31 ¥8.84

55.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.50 ¥10.15

2.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.14 ¥7.74

99.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.73 ¥4.90

76.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 €1.08

$0.87 ¥5.86

44.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.57 ¥3.85

96.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.54 ¥3.63

61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 €4.61

$3.53 ¥23.88

51.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 €7.76

$11.71 ¥79.2

-23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.73

$0.84 ¥5.67

138.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.49

$1.67 ¥11.29

73.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.41 ¥2.75

234.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.59 €29.81

$20.78 ¥141

66.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 €3.92

$1.36 ¥9.21

233.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.88

$0.33 ¥2.21

209.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.22 €14.84

$6.86 ¥46.40

151.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.12 ¥7.57

94.64%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

59.85%

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

$28.5K €24.5K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

68.27%

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

$227 €196

$51.8 ¥350

338.12%

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

$24.30 €20.94

$9.85 ¥66.6

146.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.80 €29.12

$11.13 ¥75.3

203.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.49 €42.64

$39.10 ¥264

26.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.96 €20.65

$14.89 ¥101

60.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.73 €8.38

$6.25 ¥42.24

55.68%

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

$462 €398

$404 ¥2,732

14.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,835 €8,474

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-44.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €77.3

$46.11 ¥312

94.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.98 €35.31

$32.27 ¥218

26.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 €79.6

$72.7 ¥491

27.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$72.9 ¥493

60.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 €468

$445 ¥3,009

22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 €371

$255 ¥1,727

68.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 €787

$927 ¥6,266

-1.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 €630

$532 ¥3,600

37.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,196 €2,754

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-35.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,444 €2,106

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-1.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,191 €1,026

$1,057 ¥7,148

12.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

4.06

13.55%

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

Last update for Greece: June 9, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $494 in Greece, $286 in China. Capital cities: $647 in Athens vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,104 in Greece, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 73% higher in Greece.

Dining out costs 152% more in Greece.

Public transport is 156% more expensive in Greece.

Salaries are 28% higher in Greece, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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

Greece vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $1,635 in Greece, 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.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 Greece beats 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 Greece, it works in regional areas but 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; Greece may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.