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: $1,396 in Montenegro versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Montenegro versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,864 in Montenegro versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Montenegro is roughly 96% more expensive than China on average.

Montenegro (4% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Montenegro ($957–$1,705) and China ($532–$1,187) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.36 €9.70

$2.75 ¥18.83

313.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.20 €40.31

$24.07 ¥165

96.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 €8.01

$4.84 ¥33.15

93.80%

Cappuccino

$2.40 €2.05

$2.97 ¥20.32

-19.19%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.45 ¥3.05

417.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.28

$0.29 ¥2.01

417.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 €2.44

$1.00 ¥6.86

186.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €2.98

$2.06 ¥14.13

69.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.82 ¥12.48

-25.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 €0.84

$1.62 ¥11.09

-38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$0.91 ¥6.21

145.05%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.68

$1.54 ¥10.57

103.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 €7.46

$13.32 ¥91.3

-34.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.81

$3.27 ¥22.41

143.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 €9.94

$10.56 ¥72.3

10.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 €1.18

$1.76 ¥12.03

-21.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.30 ¥8.92

33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 €1.34

$1.45 ¥9.94

8.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$1.19 ¥8.17

124.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.71 ¥4.84

40.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.97

$0.91 ¥6.24

25.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.57 ¥3.89

184.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

$0.53 ¥3.66

67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 €3.48

$3.50 ¥24.01

16.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.76 €4.92

$11.85 ¥81.2

-51.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.84 ¥5.72

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.68 ¥11.51

5.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €0.97

$0.44 ¥3.00

159.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.06 €29.94

$20.76 ¥142

68.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.36 ¥9.29

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.88

$0.35 ¥2.43

194.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.71 €11.71

$6.65 ¥45.53

106.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.50

$1.17 ¥8.00

50.43%

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

$30.8K €26.3K

$19.1K ¥131.0K

61.14%

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

$31.0K €26.5K

$17.1K ¥117.4K

80.99%

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

$129 €111

$52.0 ¥356

149.10%

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

$18.15 €15.50

$9.65 ¥66.1

88.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.53 €26.92

$11.16 ¥76.4

182.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.67 €38.15

$40.48 ¥277

10.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.57 €11.59

$14.75 ¥101

-8.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 €4.97

$6.35 ¥43.51

-8.35%

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

$324 €277

$410 ¥2,807

-20.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,966 €7,657

$17.8K ¥122.0K

-49.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 €71.1

$46.08 ¥316

80.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 €34.14

$32.86 ¥225

21.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 €84.9

$71.2 ¥488

39.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €99.5

$75.3 ¥516

54.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 €596

$430 ¥2,946

62.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 €440

$261 ¥1,787

97.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,019

$914 ¥6,263

30.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 €781

$542 ¥3,716

68.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,055 €2,609

$5,177 ¥35.5K

-41.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,346 €2,004

$2,630 ¥18.0K

-10.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 €903

$1,060 ¥7,260

-0.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.66

4.06

39.41%

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

Last update for Montenegro: April 20, 2026

Last update for China: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $686 in Montenegro, $287 in China. Capital cities: $630 in Podgorica vs $891 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $944 in Montenegro, $833 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 139% higher in Montenegro.

Dining out costs 129% more in Montenegro.

Public transport is 111% more expensive in Montenegro.

Salaries are 13% higher in Montenegro, 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

Montenegro vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $860 per month in China and $1,331 in Montenegro, there's a 55% 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 Montenegro 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 Montenegro, 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; Montenegro may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.