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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $700 per month in Natal vs $763 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,181 per month in Natal vs $1,225 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,662 per month in Natal vs $1,688 in Chengdu, rent included.

Natal is about 8% cheaper than Chengdu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Natal and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Natal 49% lower, Chengdu 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 R$28.45

$2.90 ¥19.43

91.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.44 R$187

$20.18 ¥135

80.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 R$38.10

$5.18 ¥34.75

43.44%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R$10.56

$2.94 ¥19.68

-29.93%

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

$1.03 R$5.27

$0.48 ¥3.19

114.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.13

$0.28 ¥1.88

117.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 R$8.04

$1.46 ¥9.77

7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 R$11.75

$2.50 ¥16.73

-8.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.92

$1.76 ¥11.80

-34.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R$6.08

$1.64 ¥10.98

-27.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.51

$0.94 ¥6.31

14.89%

Eggs

$1.79 R$9.18

$1.54 ¥10.29

16.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.05 R$36.15

$14.19 ¥95.1

-50.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 R$20.67

$3.51 ¥23.51

14.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 R$40.50

$11.04 ¥74.0

-28.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.86

$1.82 ¥12.20

-26.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.05

$1.26 ¥8.46

-21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 R$3.68

$1.06 ¥7.10

-32.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.02

$1.25 ¥8.38

-6.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.35

$0.69 ¥4.63

50.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.59

$0.72 ¥4.83

51.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 R$2.52

$0.73 ¥4.91

-32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 R$2.87

$0.59 ¥3.92

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 R$8.86

$3.63 ¥24.29

-52.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 R$38.58

$5.47 ¥36.63

37.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$5.86

$0.79 ¥5.28

44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 R$7.48

$1.53 ¥10.26

-4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 R$4.58

$0.43 ¥2.90

106.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.07 R$149

$24.95 ¥167

16.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.76

$1.32 ¥8.81

-29.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 R$2.73

$0.29 ¥1.94

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 R$17.18

$4.38 ¥29.33

-23.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.24

$1.23 ¥8.21

-0.81%

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

$22.5K R$115.2K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

16.08%

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

$32.3K R$165.3K

$17.4K ¥116.7K

85.16%

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

$52.8 R$270

$41.04 ¥275

28.58%

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

$13.02 R$66.7

$9.46 ¥63.4

37.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 R$89.0

$12.83 ¥86.0

35.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.46 R$110

$27.45 ¥184

-21.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.61 R$162

$11.02 ¥73.9

186.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 R$40.56

$6.02 ¥40.35

31.40%

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

$109 R$557

$410 ¥2,748

-73.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,569 R$23.4K

$14.8K ¥99.0K

-69.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.61 R$224

$28.78 ¥193

51.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.34 R$243

$29.21 ¥196

62.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 R$374

$60.8 ¥407

20.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 R$378

$52.7 ¥353

40.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 R$2,355

$486 ¥3,260

-5.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 R$871

$256 ¥1,714

-33.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 R$2,902

$849 ¥5,692

-33.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 R$1,831

$545 ¥3,655

-34.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,343 R$6,884

$3,813 ¥25.6K

-64.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$854 R$4,377

$1,909 ¥12.8K

-55.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 R$2,022

$1,284 ¥8,602

-69.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

3.38

245.27%

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

Last update for Natal: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Natal versus $486 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 225% 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 $36.00 in Natal versus $20.00 in Chengdu. Groceries tell a different story – $159 in Natal vs $196 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: $700 in Natal, $763 in Chengdu – roughly 9% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,050 per month in Natal and $1,145 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 $36.00 in Natal and $20.00 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 $700 in Natal and $763 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 $700 in Natal and $763 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 $700 in Natal to $763 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.