Cost of Living Comparison Between Latvia and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Latvia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,354 in Latvia versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,049 in Latvia versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Latvia versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Latvia is roughly 90% more expensive than China on average.

Latvia (1% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $532 to $1,187, compared to $1,202–$1,578 in Latvia. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.71 €11.69

$2.75 ¥18.80

398.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.1

$24.07 ¥165

192.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 €6.75

$4.84 ¥33.11

63.43%

Cappuccino

$3.28 €2.79

$2.97 ¥20.29

10.44%

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

$1.76 €1.50

$0.45 ¥3.05

291.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.06

$0.29 ¥2.00

331.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.32 €4.54

$1.00 ¥6.85

432.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.89

$2.06 ¥14.11

121.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.82 ¥12.46

-28.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 €1.34

$1.62 ¥11.07

-3.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 €2.64

$0.91 ¥6.20

240.66%

Eggs

$3.01 €2.57

$1.54 ¥10.55

95.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 €9.78

$13.32 ¥91.1

-13.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 €6.67

$3.27 ¥22.38

139.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.04 €10.27

$10.56 ¥72.2

14.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.76 ¥12.01

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.30 ¥8.91

43.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.25

$1.45 ¥9.93

82.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.19 ¥8.16

183.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 €0.87

$0.71 ¥4.83

43.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.91 ¥6.23

16.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.55

$0.57 ¥3.89

219.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.53 ¥3.65

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.08

$3.50 ¥23.97

70.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 €6.97

$11.85 ¥81.1

-31.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.45

$0.84 ¥5.72

102.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.68 ¥11.49

29.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.47

$0.44 ¥3.00

290.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 €29.12

$20.76 ¥142

64.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 €2.32

$1.36 ¥9.28

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 €0.65

$0.35 ¥2.43

117.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.74 €10.02

$6.65 ¥45.47

76.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.17 ¥7.99

62.39%

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

$30.5K €26.0K

$19.1K ¥130.8K

59.19%

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

$31.1K €26.5K

$17.1K ¥117.2K

81.22%

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

$304 €259

$52.0 ¥355

484.22%

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

$19.13 €16.32

$9.65 ¥66.0

98.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 €17.01

$11.16 ¥76.3

78.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.46 €40.48

$40.48 ¥277

17.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.55 €24.35

$14.75 ¥101

93.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 €10.06

$6.35 ¥43.45

85.67%

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

$534 €456

$410 ¥2,803

30.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K €13.3K

$17.8K ¥121.8K

-12.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.8 €79.2

$46.08 ¥315

101.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.11 €39.33

$32.86 ¥225

40.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 €79.5

$71.2 ¥487

30.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €120

$75.3 ¥515

86.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 €394

$430 ¥2,942

7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 €285

$261 ¥1,784

28.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 €809

$914 ¥6,254

3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 €519

$542 ¥3,711

12.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,792 €2,382

$5,177 ¥35.4K

-46.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,767 €1,507

$2,630 ¥18.0K

-32.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,359 €1,159

$1,060 ¥7,250

28.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.06

6.65%

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

Last update for Latvia: April 21, 2026

Last update for China: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $353 in Latvia, $287 in China. Capital cities: $595 in Riga vs $891 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,068 in Latvia, $833 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 23% higher in Latvia.

Dining out costs 181% more in Latvia.

Public transport is 106% more expensive in Latvia.

Salaries are 28% higher in Latvia, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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

Latvia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $860 per month in China and $1,390 in Latvia, there's a 62% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 Latvia beats 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 Latvia, it works in regional areas but 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; Latvia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.