Cost of Living Comparison Between Nigeria and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Nigeria and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $526 in Nigeria versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $875 in Nigeria versus $1,133 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,223 in Nigeria versus $1,553 in China.

Living in Nigeria costs about 26% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Nigeria 61% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ₦2,644

$2.71 ¥18.31

-28.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.06 ₦44.8K

$23.22 ¥157

42.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ₦7,114

$5.00 ¥33.78

5.00%

Cappuccino

$2.11 ₦2,861

$3.08 ¥20.84

-31.49%

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

$0.36 ₦494

$0.48 ¥3.24

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₦310

$0.29 ¥1.97

-20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ₦1,247

$1.00 ¥6.73

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₦1,774

$2.10 ¥14.21

-37.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 ₦3,710

$1.75 ¥11.80

56.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₦1,629

$1.67 ¥11.25

-28.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 ₦3,229

$0.99 ¥6.67

140.40%

Eggs

$1.83 ₦2,478

$1.57 ¥10.60

16.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.21 ₦7,056

$13.06 ¥88.3

-60.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 ₦6,131

$3.31 ¥22.38

36.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.37 ₦5,927

$10.82 ¥73.1

-59.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 ₦4,628

$1.78 ¥12.01

91.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ₦2,773

$1.24 ¥8.39

65.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ₦2,346

$1.50 ¥10.17

15.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₦2,473

$1.20 ¥8.11

51.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 ₦2,742

$0.76 ¥5.16

165.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 ₦2,472

$0.92 ¥6.20

97.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ₦1,170

$0.58 ¥3.89

48.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₦681

$0.53 ¥3.59

-5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.32 ₦1,788

$3.45 ¥23.28

-61.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.60 ₦3,519

$11.95 ¥80.7

-78.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₦1,232

$0.82 ¥5.57

10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₦1,527

$1.65 ¥11.15

-31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₦725

$0.43 ¥2.91

23.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.55 ₦45.5K

$20.78 ¥140

61.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 ₦1,162

$1.38 ¥9.32

-37.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 ₦2,242

$0.33 ¥2.22

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₦6,040

$6.74 ¥45.50

-33.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 ₦908

$1.13 ¥7.64

-40.71%

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

$16.9K ₦22.9M

$19.6K ¥132.5K

-13.88%

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

$22.2K ₦30.1M

$16.8K ¥113.5K

32.19%

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

$30.25 ₦41.0K

$50.7 ¥343

-40.34%

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

$9.96 ₦13.5K

$10.12 ¥68.4

-1.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.99 ₦42.0K

$11.42 ¥77.2

171.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.39 ₦42.6K

$40.33 ¥272

-22.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.65 ₦11.7K

$14.57 ¥98.5

-40.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ₦8,829

$6.40 ¥43.26

1.72%

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

$75.9 ₦102.9K

$417 ¥2,817

-81.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,599 ₦2.2M

$17.2K ¥116.5K

-90.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.08 ₦24.5K

$45.55 ¥308

-60.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ₦36.3K

$32.26 ¥218

-17.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 ₦74.9K

$72.9 ¥493

-24.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.1 ₦76.0K

$73.6 ¥497

-23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₦1.2M

$433 ¥2,925

104.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 ₦785.0K

$261 ¥1,765

121.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 ₦3.0M

$905 ¥6,115

146.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 ₦1.7M

$533 ¥3,599

128.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,626 ₦3.6M

$4,965 ¥33.5K

-47.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,082 ₦1.5M

$2,518 ¥17.0K

-57.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$79.1 ₦107.2K

$1,063 ¥7,181

-92.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

4.06

302.22%

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

Last update for Nigeria: June 13, 2026

Last update for China: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $374 in Nigeria, $287 in China. Capital cities: $2,502 in Abuja vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $69.0 in Nigeria, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in Nigeria.

Dining out costs 24% more in Nigeria.

Public transport is 157% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 1149% higher in China, 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

Nigeria vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $852 in Nigeria, there's a 1% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Nigeria 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 China beats Nigeria across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Nigeria, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In China, 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. Nigeria wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.