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: $1,460 in Greece versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,202 in Greece versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,943 in Greece versus $1,549 in China.

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

Greece (10% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Greece: monthly costs span $1,161 to $2,160, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Greece.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.11

$2.77 ¥18.71

529.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 €50.4

$24.05 ¥162

142.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 €8.96

$4.73 ¥31.91

118.82%

Cappuccino

$3.90 €3.38

$3.08 ¥20.77

26.62%

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

$2.42 €2.10

$0.44 ¥2.99

450.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.51

$0.29 ¥1.98

103.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 €5.16

$1.01 ¥6.80

489.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.98

$2.08 ¥14.02

176.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.83 ¥12.38

-4.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.62 ¥10.94

-14.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$0.97 ¥6.58

168.04%

Eggs

$4.58 €3.97

$1.61 ¥10.90

184.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 €11.90

$13.34 ¥90.1

3.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 €9.13

$3.37 ¥22.74

213.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 €12.69

$10.68 ¥72.1

37.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.81 ¥12.25

16.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.25 ¥8.43

62.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.46 ¥9.88

6.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.15 ¥7.73

87.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.73 ¥4.91

73.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$0.89 ¥5.99

34.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 €0.93

$0.60 ¥4.05

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.53 ¥3.58

64.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.33 €4.62

$3.39 ¥22.91

57.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 €8.11

$11.73 ¥79.2

-20.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.77 ¥5.22

171.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 €2.55

$1.63 ¥10.97

80.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 €1.23

$0.41 ¥2.77

246.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 €29.88

$21.24 ¥143

62.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 €4.13

$1.35 ¥9.12

253.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.36 ¥2.40

197.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.29 €14.97

$6.70 ¥45.23

158.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.18 ¥7.98

75.42%

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

$30.3K €26.2K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

53.30%

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

$28.7K €24.8K

$16.5K ¥111.6K

73.40%

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

$223 €193

$51.7 ¥349

330.77%

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

$24.52 €21.23

$10.09 ¥68.1

143.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.13

$11.38 ¥76.8

195.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.20 €42.61

$39.24 ¥265

25.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.75 €21.44

$14.84 ¥100

66.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 €8.33

$6.30 ¥42.53

52.70%

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

$453 €393

$414 ¥2,793

9.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,644 €8,352

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-44.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 €76.6

$46.77 ¥316

89.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 €35.85

$33.08 ¥223

25.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$70.9 ¥479

30.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$74.5 ¥503

56.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$545 €472

$440 ¥2,971

23.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 €385

$253 ¥1,706

76.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 €780

$911 ¥6,150

-1.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 €649

$531 ¥3,582

41.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,031 €2,625

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-36.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,468 €2,138

$2,403 ¥16.2K

2.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,169 €1,013

$1,058 ¥7,140

10.55%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $495 in Greece, $287 in China. Capital cities: $640 in Athens vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,094 in Greece, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 72% higher in Greece.

Dining out costs 152% more in Greece.

Public transport is 156% more expensive in Greece.

Salaries are 28% higher in Greece, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $873 per month in China and $1,661 in Greece, there's a 90% 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 Greece 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 Greece 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; Greece may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.