Cost of Living Comparison Between Natal and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Natal and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $662 per month in Natal vs $692 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,106 per month in Natal vs $1,095 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,551 per month in Natal vs $1,497 in Chengdu, rent included.

Natal is about 4% cheaper than Chengdu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Natal and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Natal 51% lower, Chengdu 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.08 R$25.19

$2.73 ¥18.66

86.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.06 R$139

$23.37 ¥160

20.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R$30.52

$5.00 ¥34.23

23.00%

Cappuccino

$1.82 R$9.04

$2.74 ¥18.76

-33.58%

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

$0.83 R$4.13

$0.43 ¥2.94

93.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 R$2.42

$0.28 ¥1.88

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 R$7.25

$1.12 ¥7.67

30.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R$10.62

$2.11 ¥14.40

1.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.43

$1.76 ¥12.05

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R$5.93

$1.45 ¥9.89

-17.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.19

$0.90 ¥6.18

16.67%

Eggs

$1.92 R$9.52

$1.87 ¥12.79

2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.71 R$33.29

$13.47 ¥92.1

-50.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 R$17.61

$3.48 ¥23.79

2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.96 R$34.54

$11.24 ¥76.9

-38.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 R$10.23

$1.86 ¥12.70

10.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.33

$1.19 ¥8.11

-26.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.28

$1.46 ¥9.99

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.53

$1.06 ¥7.25

4.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.61

$0.66 ¥4.52

40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$4.93

$0.77 ¥5.23

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 R$2.66

$0.59 ¥4.05

-8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 R$2.61

$0.58 ¥3.94

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 R$7.92

$3.33 ¥22.77

-51.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 R$40.61

$5.63 ¥38.50

45.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$5.63

$0.96 ¥6.55

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 R$7.89

$1.79 ¥12.26

-11.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 R$3.95

$0.40 ¥2.76

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.15 R$154

$28.00 ¥192

11.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 R$4.57

$1.27 ¥8.70

-27.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R$2.57

$0.26 ¥1.77

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 R$17.93

$4.27 ¥29.23

-15.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.13

$1.12 ¥7.66

-8.04%

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

$16.3K R$80.7K

$19.0K ¥130.1K

-14.41%

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

$22.3K R$110.5K

$16.4K ¥112.0K

36.06%

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

$43.68 R$217

$44.60 ¥305

-2.06%

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

$15.38 R$76.3

$11.67 ¥79.9

31.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.51 R$81.9

$11.70 ¥80.1

41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.97 R$104

$24.21 ¥166

-13.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.95 R$144

$11.45 ¥78.3

152.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 R$33.74

$5.61 ¥38.40

21.21%

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

$119 R$590

$336 ¥2,301

-64.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,312 R$21.4K

$12.1K ¥82.5K

-64.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.04 R$213

$37.86 ¥259

13.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 R$209

$38.09 ¥261

10.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 R$334

$67.2 ¥460

0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 R$358

$50.7 ¥347

42.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 R$1,494

$313 ¥2,141

-3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 R$854

$184 ¥1,256

-6.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 R$2,743

$606 ¥4,148

-8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 R$1,705

$324 ¥2,213

6.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,449 R$7,186

$4,040 ¥27.6K

-64.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$876 R$4,343

$1,982 ¥13.6K

-55.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 R$1,997

$1,187 ¥8,119

-66.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

185.04%

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

Last update for Natal: April 22, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $301 in Natal versus $313 in Chengdu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 195% higher in Chengdu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Natal versus $23 in Chengdu. Groceries tell a different story – $157 in Natal vs $195 in Chengdu – so Natal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Natal vs Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $662 in Natal, $692 in Chengdu – roughly 5% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $993 per month in Natal and $1,038 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Natal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Natal and $23.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $662 in Natal and $692 in Chengdu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $662 in Natal and $692 in Chengdu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Natal has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $662 in Natal to $692 in Chengdu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Natal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.