Cost of Living Comparison Between Monaco and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Monaco and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $9,590 in Monaco versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $9,535 in Monaco versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,479 in Monaco versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Monaco is roughly 1247% more expensive than China on average.

Monaco (616% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Monaco: monthly costs span $5,106 to $12,769, compared to $532–$1,187 in China. City choice carries more weight in Monaco.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.48 €26.85

$2.75 ¥18.80

1044.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$168 €144

$24.07 ¥165

599.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 €10.68

$4.84 ¥33.11

158.68%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €3.83

$2.97 ¥20.29

51.18%

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

$5.84 €4.98

$0.45 ¥3.05

1197.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 €6.39

$0.29 ¥2.00

2486.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.75 €8.32

$1.00 ¥6.85

875.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.42 €8.03

$2.06 ¥14.11

357.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.82 ¥12.46

17.58%

White Bread (500g)

$5.33 €4.55

$1.62 ¥11.07

229.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 €3.64

$0.91 ¥6.20

369.23%

Eggs

$5.30 €4.52

$1.54 ¥10.55

244.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.46 €14.90

$13.32 ¥91.1

31.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.26 €16.43

$3.27 ¥22.38

488.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €16.19

$10.56 ¥72.2

79.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 €4.08

$1.76 ¥12.01

171.59%

Banana (1kg)

$6.09 €5.19

$1.30 ¥8.91

368.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.15

$1.45 ¥9.93

155.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 €4.38

$1.19 ¥8.16

331.09%

Potato (1kg)

$4.19 €3.58

$0.71 ¥4.83

490.14%

Onion (1kg)

$4.41 €3.77

$0.91 ¥6.23

384.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.76 €3.21

$0.57 ¥3.89

559.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$6.86 €5.85

$0.53 ¥3.65

1194.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.67 €12.52

$3.50 ¥23.97

319.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 €9.56

$11.85 ¥81.1

-5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.64

$0.84 ¥5.72

128.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 €4.39

$1.68 ¥11.49

206.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.02

$0.44 ¥3.00

438.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.14 €21.45

$20.76 ¥142

21.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 €5.63

$1.36 ¥9.28

385.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 €1.54

$0.35 ¥2.43

414.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$104 €88.4

$6.65 ¥45.47

1458.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.50 €2.13

$1.17 ¥7.99

113.68%

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

$56.5K €48.2K

$19.1K ¥130.8K

195.60%

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

$51.4K €43.9K

$17.1K ¥117.2K

200.04%

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

$357 €304

$52.0 ¥355

586.95%

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

$60.7 €51.7

$9.65 ¥66.0

528.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 €59.1

$11.16 ¥76.3

520.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$390 €332

$40.48 ¥277

862.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.55 €38.00

$14.75 ¥101

202.03%

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 €11.65

$6.35 ¥43.45

115.12%

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

$2,726 €2,325

$410 ¥2,803

565.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K €30.8K

$17.8K ¥121.8K

102.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$186 €159

$46.08 ¥315

303.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$84.1 €71.7

$32.86 ¥225

155.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$198 €169

$71.2 ¥487

177.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$688 €587

$75.3 ¥515

813.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,074 €6,034

$430 ¥2,942

1544.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$8,041 €6,859

$261 ¥1,784

2982.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$32.1K €27.4K

$914 ¥6,254

3414.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$7,382 €6,297

$542 ¥3,711

1260.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$70.9K €60.5K

$5,177 ¥35.4K

1269.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$57.3K €48.8K

$2,630 ¥18.0K

2077.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,734 €8,303

$1,060 ¥7,250

818.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.83

4.06

-30.30%

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

Last update for Monaco: April 21, 2026

Last update for China: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $3,616 in Monaco, $287 in China. Capital cities: $8,397 in Monaco vs $891 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $9,348 in Monaco, $833 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1160% higher in Monaco.

Dining out costs 648% more in Monaco.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in Monaco.

Salaries are 1022% higher in Monaco, 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

Monaco vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $860 per month in China and $8,938 in Monaco, there's a 940% 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 Monaco 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 Monaco, 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; Monaco may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.