Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Latvia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,415 in Latvia, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Latvia
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Latvia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,415

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Latvia versus $791 in China.

Latvia $1,415
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,149 in Latvia versus $1,251 in China.

Latvia $2,149
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,883 in Latvia versus $1,711 in China.

Latvia $2,883
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in Latvia: monthly costs span $44 to $1,614, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Latvia.

Living in Latvia is roughly 79% more expensive than in China on average.

Latvia (4% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.55 €12.14

$2.98 ¥19.78

354.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 €50.4

$22.09 ¥147

154.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 €7.34

$5.20 ¥34.55

57.50%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.91

$2.97 ¥19.71

9.43%

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

$1.58 €1.41

$0.48 ¥3.18

229.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$0.30 ¥2.00

303.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 €4.49

$1.08 ¥7.17

364.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.04

$2.28 ¥15.13

97.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.80 ¥11.94

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.68 ¥11.13

-7.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.27

$0.92 ¥6.13

176.09%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.16

$1.61 ¥10.72

119.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 €9.31

$13.38 ¥88.9

-22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.15 €7.30

$3.35 ¥22.25

143.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.07 €12.60

$11.35 ¥75.4

23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.82 ¥12.11

6.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.31 ¥8.68

32.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.49 ¥9.88

69.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 €2.83

$1.27 ¥8.46

148.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 €0.78

$0.71 ¥4.73

23.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 €0.82

$0.93 ¥6.20

-1.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.50

$0.62 ¥4.11

169.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$0.56 ¥3.73

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 €5.45

$3.78 ¥25.12

61.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 €7.08

$12.13 ¥80.6

-34.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.59

$0.83 ¥5.53

113.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.68 ¥11.19

15.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.47

$0.29 ¥1.91

465.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.19 €30.62

$17.83 ¥118

91.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €3.05

$1.49 ¥9.88

128.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.72

$0.37 ¥2.49

118.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.31 €14.61

$7.10 ¥47.17

129.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.72

$1.26 ¥8.36

52.38%

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

$27.7K €24.8K

$19.4K ¥129.2K

42.68%

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

$30.3K €27.1K

$17.5K ¥116.5K

72.64%

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

$319 €285

$54.6 ¥363

484.09%

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

$17.66 €15.81

$8.73 ¥58.0

102.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 €16.64

$11.07 ¥73.5

67.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 €39.39

$40.77 ¥271

7.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.52 €30.92

$14.48 ¥96.2

138.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 €8.91

$6.78 ¥45.05

46.61%

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

$641 €574

$517 ¥3,433

23.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$19.8K ¥131.6K

-14.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.1 €69.9

$46.53 ¥309

67.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.22 €41.40

$35.66 ¥237

29.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 €83.6

$77.0 ¥512

21.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €123

$80.3 ¥533

70.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 €389

$386 ¥2,564

12.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 €276

$235 ¥1,558

31.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 €831

$822 ¥5,461

12.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 €505

$453 ¥3,011

24.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 €2,135

$4,697 ¥31.2K

-49.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,527 €1,368

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-35.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,263 €1,131

$1,093 ¥7,264

15.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.46

29.48%

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

Last update for Latvia: October 24, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Latvia

$355 25.1%

China

$74 9.4% 79% $281

Accommodation & Living

Latvia

$308 21.8%

China

$235 29.6% 23.8% $73

Groceries & Markets

Latvia

$263 18.6%

China

$210 26.5% 20.2% $53

Eating Out

Latvia

$217 15.4%

China

$88 11.1% 59.5% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Latvia

$160 11.3%

China

$108 13.6% 32.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Latvia

$64 4.5%

China

$54 6.9% 14.9% $9.5

Getting Around

Latvia

$48 3.4%

China

$22 2.8% 53.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $301 in Latvia, $298 in China. Capital cities: $621 in Riga vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $967 in Latvia, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 150% more in Latvia.

Public transport is 111% more expensive in Latvia.

Salaries are 11% higher in Latvia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Latvia

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

19:16 7:16 PM

6 h ahead of Latvia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,871,882

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Latvia China 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Latvia
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

Latvia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,415 in Latvia, China comes out about 44% 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 China: 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.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.