Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Greece and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,530 in Greece, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Greece
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Greece Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇬🇷 Greece

$1,530

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,530 in Greece versus $791 in China.

Greece $1,530
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,338 in Greece versus $1,251 in China.

Greece $2,338
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,146 in Greece versus $1,711 in China.

Greece $3,146
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in Greece: monthly costs span $1,037 to $2,142, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Greece.

Living in Greece is roughly 93% more expensive than in China on average.

Greece (12% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.48 €14.76

$2.98 ¥19.81

453.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 €49.69

$22.09 ¥147

151.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 €9.85

$5.20 ¥34.60

111.54%

Cappuccino

$3.89 €3.49

$2.97 ¥19.74

30.98%

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

$2.46 €2.21

$0.48 ¥3.19

412.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.56

$0.30 ¥2.01

110.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.14

$1.08 ¥7.18

431.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$2.28 ¥15.15

146.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.80 ¥11.96

-2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.68 ¥11.15

-15.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 €2.31

$0.92 ¥6.13

179.35%

Eggs

$4.54 €4.07

$1.61 ¥10.73

181.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €12.25

$13.38 ¥89.0

2.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €9.21

$3.35 ¥22.28

206.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.57 €13.95

$11.35 ¥75.5

37.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.82 ¥12.12

20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.76

$1.31 ¥8.69

49.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.49 ¥9.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.27 ¥8.47

64.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$0.71 ¥4.73

69.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.93 ¥6.21

22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.62 ¥4.12

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.75

$0.56 ¥3.74

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.89

$3.78 ¥25.15

44.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.01 €8.07

$12.13 ¥80.7

-25.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.76

$0.83 ¥5.54

137.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.45

$1.68 ¥11.21

62.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.23

$0.29 ¥1.91

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.37 €29.88

$17.83 ¥119

87.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 €4.02

$1.49 ¥9.89

201.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.98

$0.37 ¥2.49

194.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.76

$7.10 ¥47.23

132.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.99

$1.26 ¥8.37

76.19%

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

$28.1K €25.2K

$19.4K ¥129.4K

44.44%

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

$26.3K €23.6K

$17.5K ¥116.7K

50.03%

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

$209 €187

$54.6 ¥363

282.66%

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

$24.10 €21.58

$8.73 ¥58.1

176.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.62 €28.32

$11.07 ¥73.6

185.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.95 €42.95

$40.77 ¥271

17.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.90 €20.51

$14.48 ¥96.4

58.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 €9.01

$6.78 ¥45.12

48.53%

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

$435 €390

$517 ¥3,437

-15.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,696 €8,683

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-51.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.6

$46.53 ¥310

86.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 €36.41

$35.66 ¥237

13.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 €86.2

$77.0 ¥512

24.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$80.3 ¥534

44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 €500

$386 ¥2,567

44.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 €394

$235 ¥1,561

87.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 €845

$822 ¥5,469

14.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 €685

$453 ¥3,015

68.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,088 €2,765

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-34.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 €2,121

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-0.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,109 €994

$1,093 ¥7,274

1.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

3.46

31.21%

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

Last update for Greece: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Greece

$440 28.8%

China

$235 29.6% 46.7% $206

Groceries & Markets

Greece

$292 19.1%

China

$210 26.5% 28.1% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Greece

$265 17.3%

China

$74 9.4% 71.9% $190

Eating Out

Greece

$264 17.2%

China

$88 11.1% 66.6% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Greece

$153 10%

China

$108 13.6% 29.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Greece

$68 4.5%

China

$54 6.9% 20.2% $14

Getting Around

Greece

$49 3.2%

China

$22 2.8% 54.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $507 in Greece, $298 in China. Capital cities: $740 in Athens vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,079 in Greece, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in Greece.

Dining out costs 136% more in Greece.

Public transport is 172% more expensive in Greece.

Salaries are 24% higher in Greece, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Greece

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

20:56 8:56 PM

6 h ahead of Greece

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,482,487

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Greece China 7,620 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Greece
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

Greece vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,530 in Greece, China comes out about 48% cheaper. 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 $507 in Greece and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.