Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,796 in Italy versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,739 in Italy versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Italy versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Italy is roughly 149% more expensive than in China on average.

Italy (30% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,152 to $2,626, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$2.93 ¥19.60

624.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$22.72 ¥152

255.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$5.07 ¥33.95

125.05%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$2.94 ¥19.70

-29.25%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$0.48 ¥3.21

535.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.30 ¥2.02

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$1.06 ¥7.10

446.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

$2.25 ¥15.07

155.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.79 ¥11.99

-5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.70 ¥11.35

41.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$0.96 ¥6.45

213.54%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$1.61 ¥10.79

168.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$13.60 ¥91.1

31.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$3.41 ¥22.84

271.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$11.07 ¥74.2

85.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.81 ¥12.09

44.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.30 ¥8.74

65.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.48 ¥9.91

89.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$1.30 ¥8.72

155.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$0.72 ¥4.82

191.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.94 ¥6.31

101.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.61 ¥4.08

154.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.56 ¥3.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

$3.67 ¥24.58

95.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

$11.90 ¥79.7

-38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.83 ¥5.56

116.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.65 ¥11.08

46.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.29 ¥1.92

565.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$22.61 ¥151

100.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$1.45 ¥9.72

295.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.34 ¥2.31

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$7.27 ¥48.72

384.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.23 ¥8.26

65.85%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

91.97%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

114.88%

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

$231 €199

$55.5 ¥371

316.44%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$8.51 ¥57.0

45.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$10.81 ¥72.4

188.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$40.02 ¥268

38.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$14.80 ¥99.1

68.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$6.73 ¥45.09

65.38%

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

$568 €490

$454 ¥3,042

25.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-35.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$44.95 ¥301

106.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$35.81 ¥240

11.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$76.8 ¥514

35.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$77.3 ¥518

74.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$385 ¥2,581

121.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$242 ¥1,623

166.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$837 ¥5,603

73.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$474 ¥3,177

128.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-17.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$2,316 ¥15.5K

1.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$1,062 ¥7,110

82.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

3.47

2.88%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $755 in Italy, $295 in China. Capital cities: $1,247 in Rome vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,964 in Italy, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 156% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 262% more in Italy.

Public transport is 153% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 127% higher in Italy, 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

Italy vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $1,889 in Italy, there's a 122% 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 Italy 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 Italy 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; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.