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: $1,718 in Italy versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Italy is roughly 141% more expensive than in China on average.

Italy (29% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,176 to $2,467, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.40

$2.86 ¥19.32

514.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.2

$23.44 ¥158

251.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.26

$4.84 ¥32.70

142.15%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$3.11 ¥21.03

-38.26%

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

$2.99 €2.62

$0.44 ¥2.99

579.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.29 ¥1.99

368.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$0.98 ¥6.63

487.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.57

$2.05 ¥13.86

154.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.84 ¥12.45

-8.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$1.62 ¥10.92

43.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$0.93 ¥6.27

227.96%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$1.63 ¥11.01

144.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.61

$13.15 ¥88.8

26.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €11.01

$3.26 ¥22.06

285.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.98

$10.62 ¥71.8

93.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$1.80 ¥12.17

42.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$1.30 ¥8.76

69.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$1.46 ¥9.88

83.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$1.20 ¥8.13

180.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.79

$0.76 ¥5.13

168.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$0.88 ¥5.93

113.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$0.57 ¥3.86

157.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.54 ¥3.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.13

$3.42 ¥23.14

104.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.21

$11.75 ¥79.4

-39.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.58

$0.80 ¥5.39

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.20

$1.62 ¥10.94

54.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.43 ¥2.93

355.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.42

$20.47 ¥138

103.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$1.36 ¥9.22

326.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.35 ¥2.39

357.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.71

$6.50 ¥43.90

439.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.87

$1.12 ¥7.58

90.18%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$19.5K ¥131.6K

67.27%

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

$33.8K €29.6K

$16.9K ¥113.9K

100.38%

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

$225 €197

$51.7 ¥349

335.15%

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

$13.14 €11.51

$10.17 ¥68.7

29.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.31

$11.16 ¥75.4

179.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €50.1

$39.62 ¥268

44.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.64

$14.53 ¥98.2

77.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.05

$6.38 ¥43.12

62.07%

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

$564 €494

$407 ¥2,752

38.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,057

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-42.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.5

$45.53 ¥308

101.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.51

$32.31 ¥218

25.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €86.0

$72.6 ¥490

35.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$74.4 ¥503

77.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €749

$443 ¥2,992

93.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €581

$258 ¥1,745

156.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,333

$910 ¥6,152

67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €954

$543 ¥3,672

100.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,282

$4,934 ¥33.3K

-24.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,013

$2,398 ¥16.2K

-4.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,661

$1,065 ¥7,194

78.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

4.06

8.62%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 159% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 252% more in Italy.

Public transport is 144% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 124% higher in Italy.

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 $862 per month in China and $1,822 in Italy, there's a 111% 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.