Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Marshall Islands and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $2,120 in the Marshall Islands, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in the Marshall Islands
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Marshall Islands Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,120

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,120 in the Marshall Islands versus $789 in China.

Marshall Islands $2,120
China $789

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,950 in the Marshall Islands versus $1,254 in China.

Marshall Islands $2,950
China $1,254

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,781 in the Marshall Islands versus $1,720 in China.

Marshall Islands $3,781
China $1,720

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $468 to $1,246, compared to $2,118–$2,118 in the Marshall Islands. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in the Marshall Islands is roughly 169% more expensive than in China on average.

The Marshall Islands (57% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 $7.69

$3.04 ¥20.24

152.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.02 $30.02

$22.12 ¥147

35.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 $10.52

$5.37 ¥35.74

95.90%

Cappuccino

$4.44 $4.44

$2.93 ¥19.53

51.54%

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

$1.87 $1.87

$0.48 ¥3.21

289.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$0.30 ¥2.01

910.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.07 ¥7.15

309.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.21 ¥14.69

120.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.80 ¥12.00

22.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.62 ¥10.76

106.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.99 ¥6.58

83.84%

Eggs

$5.05 $5.05

$1.62 ¥10.79

211.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.38 $31.38

$13.44 ¥89.5

133.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$3.46 ¥23.04

222.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.54 $18.54

$11.15 ¥74.2

66.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.89 ¥12.60

126.98%

Banana (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$1.31 ¥8.72

463.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.92 $8.92

$1.50 ¥9.96

494.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.79 $12.79

$1.34 ¥8.90

854.48%

Potato (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$0.72 ¥4.76

643.06%

Onion (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$0.93 ¥6.21

507.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.83 $3.83

$0.65 ¥4.35

489.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.60 ¥3.98

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.82 ¥25.42

60.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 $10.03

$12.18 ¥81.1

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.65 ¥10.96

44.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.29 ¥1.92

924.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.53 ¥10.22

78.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 $5.14

$6.69 ¥44.57

-23.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.28 ¥8.49

42.97%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

26.40%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$17.5K ¥116.2K

103.97%

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

$249 $249

$55.3 ¥368

350.43%

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

$37.49 $37.49

$8.32 ¥55.4

350.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$11.12 ¥74.1

534.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.82 $36.82

$39.65 ¥264

-7.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ¥44.26

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

$151 $151

$514 ¥3,424

-70.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 $2,596

$34.9K ¥232.4K

-92.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 $70.2

$45.85 ¥305

53.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.09 $40.09

$35.41 ¥236

13.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.68 $29.68

$76.0 ¥506

-60.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.47 $49.47

$80.0 ¥533

-38.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 $782

$380 ¥2,527

106.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 $885

$232 ¥1,543

282.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 $1,372

$836 ¥5,563

64.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 $1,253

$462 ¥3,074

171.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 ¥31.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 ¥15.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,008 $1,008

$1,117 ¥7,435

-9.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

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

Last update for the Marshall Islands: November 1, 2026

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marshall Islands

$885 41.8%

China

$232 29.4% 73.8% $654

Groceries & Markets

Marshall Islands

$543 * 25.6%

China

$212 26.8% 61% $331

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marshall Islands

$357 16.9%

China

$75 9.5% 79.1% $283

Eating Out

Marshall Islands

$198 9.3%

China

$89 11.2% 55.2% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Marshall Islands

$85 4%

China

$107 13.5% 25.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Marshall Islands

$37 * 1.7%

China

$53 6.7% 43.8% $16

Getting Around

Marshall Islands

$15 * 0.7%

China

$23 2.9% 55% $8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $787 in the Marshall Islands, $298 in China. Capital cities: $787 in Majuro vs $942 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,011 in the Marshall Islands, $881 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 164% higher in the Marshall Islands.

Dining out costs 36% more in the Marshall Islands.

Salaries are 15% higher in the Marshall Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

02:27 2:27 AM

4 h behind the Marshall Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,127

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Marshall Islands China 6,550 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Marshall Islands
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

Marshall Islands vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $789 per month in China and $2,120 in the Marshall Islands, China comes out about 63% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $787 in the Marshall Islands and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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