Cost of Living Comparison Between Montenegro and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Montenegro and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,322 in Montenegro versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,056 in Montenegro versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,789 in Montenegro versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Montenegro is roughly 84% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Montenegro 4% lower, China 48% lower.

Montenegro ($1,034–$1,728) and China ($468–$1,236) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 €10.11

$2.93 ¥19.61

301.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 €44.86

$22.72 ¥152

129.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 €9.45

$5.07 ¥33.96

116.77%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.22

$2.94 ¥19.71

-12.24%

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

$2.42 €2.08

$0.48 ¥3.21

404.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.36

$0.30 ¥2.02

430.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 €2.78

$1.06 ¥7.10

204.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$2.25 ¥15.08

53.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.79 ¥12.00

-25.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.70 ¥11.36

-40.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.96 ¥6.45

125.00%

Eggs

$3.29 €2.83

$1.61 ¥10.80

104.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 €7.72

$13.60 ¥91.1

-33.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 €6.69

$3.41 ¥22.84

128.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.38 €10.64

$11.07 ¥74.2

11.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.81 ¥12.10

-21.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.30 ¥8.74

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.48 ¥9.91

16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.30 ¥8.73

106.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.72 ¥4.82

40.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €0.99

$0.94 ¥6.31

22.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.61 ¥4.09

157.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.56 ¥3.74

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 €3.77

$3.67 ¥24.58

19.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €5.03

$11.90 ¥79.7

-50.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.83 ¥5.56

43.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.65 ¥11.08

6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.29 ¥1.92

510.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.25 €30.31

$22.61 ¥151

55.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.45 ¥9.72

-22.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.01

$0.34 ¥2.31

244.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.71 €10.93

$7.27 ¥48.73

74.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.23 ¥8.27

47.97%

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

$31.9K €27.4K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

63.34%

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

$27.5K €23.6K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

59.26%

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

$126 €108

$55.5 ¥372

126.97%

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

$17.24 €14.82

$8.51 ¥57.0

102.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.62 €28.91

$10.81 ¥72.4

211.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.23 €38.89

$40.02 ¥268

13.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.09 €12.12

$14.80 ¥99.2

-4.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 €4.97

$6.73 ¥45.11

-14.12%

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

$360 €309

$454 ¥3,043

-20.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,138 €7,857

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-53.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €72.7

$44.95 ¥301

88.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.68 €35.84

$35.81 ¥240

16.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 €85.9

$76.8 ¥514

30.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$77.3 ¥518

55.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €567

$385 ¥2,582

71.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 €426

$242 ¥1,623

104.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 €1,057

$837 ¥5,605

46.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 €819

$474 ¥3,178

100.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,351 €2,881

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-27.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 €2,045

$2,316 ¥15.5K

2.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,039 €893

$1,062 ¥7,112

-2.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.44

3.47

56.77%

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

Last update for Montenegro: September 7, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $651 in Montenegro, $295 in China. Capital cities: $665 in Podgorica vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $934 in Montenegro, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 121% higher in Montenegro.

Dining out costs 100% more in Montenegro.

Public transport is 118% more expensive in Montenegro.

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

Montenegro vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $1,381 in Montenegro, 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.

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 Montenegro 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 Montenegro 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; Montenegro may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.