Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $391 a month against $793 in China, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$391

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $391 in India versus $793 in China.

India $391
China $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $620 in India versus $1,261 in China.

India $620
China $1,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $849 in India versus $1,730 in China.

India $849
China $1,730

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $466 to $1,244, compared to $228–$812 in India. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in India costs about 51% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, China 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$2.96 ¥19.76

-27.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.52 ₹999

$22.74 ¥152

-53.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.58 ₹340

$5.34 ¥35.70

-32.96%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ₹158

$3.04 ¥20.35

-45.07%

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

$0.37 ₹35.48

$0.48 ¥3.22

-22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.18

$0.28 ¥1.85

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ₹175

$1.03 ¥6.92

78.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹292

$2.27 ¥15.16

35.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹58.8

$1.80 ¥12.02

-65.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.73

$1.69 ¥11.28

-71.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$1.00 ¥6.69

-37.00%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹90.7

$1.56 ¥10.42

-38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.71 ₹447

$13.44 ¥89.8

-64.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 ₹277

$3.48 ¥23.28

-16.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 ¥76.8

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ₹188

$1.79 ¥12.00

10.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$1.26 ¥8.41

-46.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹97.2

$1.48 ¥9.92

-31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.78

$1.31 ¥8.76

-64.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.20

$0.72 ¥4.84

-52.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₹39.00

$0.93 ¥6.24

-55.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹40.66

$0.61 ¥4.11

-29.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.73

$0.58 ¥3.89

-46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.89 ₹464

$3.84 ¥25.65

27.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 ₹688

$11.87 ¥79.4

-38.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₹162

$0.86 ¥5.72

98.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₹260

$1.69 ¥11.33

62.13%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.25 ₹499

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₹25.86

$0.31 ¥2.07

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.39 ₹797

$22.36 ¥150

-62.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.8

$1.47 ¥9.82

-29.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.49

$0.38 ¥2.53

-34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹152

$7.03 ¥47.04

-77.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹107

$1.24 ¥8.32

-8.87%

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

$12.6K ₹1.2M

$19.2K ¥128.5K

-34.25%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$17.3K ¥115.6K

16.23%

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

$37.55 ₹3,566

$54.3 ¥363

-30.83%

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

$3.47 ₹330

$8.34 ¥55.7

-58.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹679

$10.77 ¥72.0

-33.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.58 ₹1,385

$40.39 ¥270

-63.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.21 ₹684

$14.77 ¥98.8

-51.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₹302

$6.89 ¥46.08

-53.85%

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

$56.8 ₹5,391

$457 ¥3,057

-87.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,651 ₹156.7K

$20.1K ¥134.2K

-91.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.55 ₹2,141

$45.10 ¥302

-50.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 ₹2,330

$35.65 ¥238

-31.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.69 ₹3,769

$77.9 ¥521

-49.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.84 ₹2,833

$78.0 ¥522

-61.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$141 ₹13.4K

$391 ¥2,615

-63.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 ₹8,515

$232 ¥1,549

-61.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 ₹30.9K

$816 ¥5,457

-60.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ₹19.7K

$459 ¥3,070

-54.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 ₹115.3K

$4,585 ¥30.7K

-73.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 ₹60.6K

$2,309 ¥15.4K

-72.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 ₹41.2K

$1,084 ¥7,247

-59.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.92

3.46

157.80%

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

Last update for India: October 10, 2026

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 26.2%

China

$211 26.6% 106% $109

Accommodation & Living

India

$90 23%

China

$232 29.2% 158% $142

Eating Out

India

$65 16.7%

China

$89 11.2% 36.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

India

$52 13.4%

China

$107 13.4% 103% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12.3%

China

$73 9.3% 52.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

China

$54 6.8% 159% $33

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

China

$27 3.4% 129% $15

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $119 in India, $298 in China. Capital cities: $267 in Delhi vs $940 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $411 in India, $871 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 150% higher in China.

Dining out costs 110% more in China.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 112% higher in China.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

02:31 2:31 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

India China 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

India
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

India vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $391 in India, there's a 103% 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 India: 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 $298 in China and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China 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: India wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.