Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iran and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in Iran: $495 a month against $789 in China, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Iran
Learn more

Iran Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

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🇮🇷 Iran

$495

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $495 in Iran versus $789 in China.

Iran $495
China $789

Estimated couple costs with rent: $804 in Iran versus $1,254 in China.

Iran $804
China $1,254

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,114 in Iran versus $1,720 in China.

Iran $1,114
China $1,720

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $468 to $1,246, compared to $355–$872 in Iran. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in Iran costs about 37% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Iran 63% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.30 $3.30

$3.04 ¥20.25

8.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.06 $16.06

$22.12 ¥147

-27.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 $4.12

$5.37 ¥35.75

-23.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.84 $0.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

Cappuccino

$1.17 $1.17

$2.93 ¥19.54

-60.07%

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

$0.54 $0.54

$0.48 ¥3.21

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.30 ¥2.01

206.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.69

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$1.80 ¥12.01

-65.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 $0.50

$1.62 ¥10.76

-69.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.99 ¥6.58

138.38%

Eggs

$1.12 $1.12

$1.62 ¥10.80

-30.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$13.44 ¥89.5

-72.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.46 ¥23.05

-13.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 $9.80

$11.15 ¥74.2

-12.11%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.89 ¥12.60

-48.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.31 ¥8.72

13.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.50 ¥9.97

-41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 $0.58

$1.34 ¥8.90

-56.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.72 ¥4.77

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.93 ¥6.21

-47.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.65 ¥4.35

-24.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 $0.25

$0.60 ¥3.98

-58.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.02 $1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 $0.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 $1.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.82 ¥25.43

-43.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 ¥81.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.96

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 $0.16

$0.29 ¥1.92

-44.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.09 $10.09

$18.07 ¥120

-44.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.53 ¥10.22

-68.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.37 ¥2.46

-21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$6.69 ¥44.59

-63.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.30 $0.30

$1.28 ¥8.50

-76.56%

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

$58.9K $58.9K

$19.7K ¥131.5K

198.51%

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

$52.9K $52.9K

$17.5K ¥116.3K

203.08%

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

$13.82 $13.82

$55.3 ¥368

-75.02%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$8.32 ¥55.4

-73.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.49 $6.49

$11.12 ¥74.1

-41.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.50 $16.50

$39.65 ¥264

-58.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.32 $12.32

$15.17 ¥101

-18.79%

Cinema Ticket

$1.46 $1.46

$6.65 ¥44.27

-78.05%

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

$80.2 $80.2

$514 ¥3,426

-84.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,168 $1,168

$34.9K ¥232.5K

-96.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.51 $22.51

$45.85 ¥305

-50.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.70 $26.70

$35.41 ¥236

-24.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$76.0 ¥506

35.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 $60.8

$80.0 ¥533

-23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 $251

$380 ¥2,528

-33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 $177

$232 ¥1,543

-23.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$560 $560

$836 ¥5,565

-32.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 $337

$462 ¥3,075

-26.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$993 $993

$4,743 ¥31.6K

-79.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$604 $604

$2,383 ¥15.9K

-74.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$1,117 ¥7,438

-78.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.49

3.45

580.87%

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

Last update for Iran: October 31, 2026

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iran

$177 35.9%

China

$232 29.4% 30.7% $54

Groceries & Markets

Iran

$108 21.8%

China

$212 26.8% 96% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Iran

$96 19.4%

China

$107 13.5% 11.3% $11

Eating Out

Iran

$59 11.9%

China

$89 11.2% 50.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iran

$23 4.6%

China

$75 9.5% 232% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Iran

$19 3.9%

China

$53 6.7% 173% $34

Getting Around

Iran

$13 2.6%

China

$23 2.9% 78.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in Iran, $298 in China. Capital cities: $419 in Tehran vs $942 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $268 in Iran, $881 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 38% more in China.

Public transport is 80% more expensive in China.

Salaries are about 3.3 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Iran

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

04:28 4:28 AM

4 h 30 min ahead of Iran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,758,304

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iran China 5,600 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Iran
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

Iran vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $789 per month in China and $495 in Iran, Iran comes out about 37% 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 Iran: 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.

In Iran, $800 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: Iran wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.