Cost of Living Comparison Between Reunion and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Reunion and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in Reunion versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Reunion versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,957 in Reunion versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Reunion is roughly 34% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Reunion 28% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 €15.50

$2.86 ¥19.35

519.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 €65.7

$23.44 ¥159

220.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.10 €12.33

$4.84 ¥32.75

191.32%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.72

$3.11 ¥21.06

-0.32%

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

$3.86 €3.37

$0.44 ¥3.00

777.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.55

$0.29 ¥1.99

906.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 €3.98

$0.98 ¥6.64

364.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.03

$2.05 ¥13.88

124.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.14

$1.84 ¥12.47

-29.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 €2.73

$1.62 ¥10.94

92.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$0.93 ¥6.28

132.26%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.13

$1.63 ¥11.03

189.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.80 €20.82

$13.15 ¥89.0

80.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 €12.26

$3.26 ¥22.09

329.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.41 €20.48

$10.62 ¥71.9

120.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.53

$1.80 ¥12.19

60.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.30 ¥8.77

62.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.50

$1.46 ¥9.90

95.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.78

$1.20 ¥8.15

165.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$0.76 ¥5.14

234.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.91

$0.88 ¥5.93

148.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.57 ¥3.86

177.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.11

$0.54 ¥3.63

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.55 €12.73

$3.42 ¥23.17

325.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 €7.82

$11.75 ¥79.5

-23.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.96

$0.80 ¥5.40

180.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.17

$1.62 ¥10.95

124.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.07

$0.43 ¥2.94

451.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.92 €39.30

$20.47 ¥139

119.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.24

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.97

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.12 ¥7.59

92.86%

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

$37.3K €32.6K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

91.61%

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

$32.0K €28.0K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

89.67%

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

$114 €99.8

$51.7 ¥350

120.58%

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

$13.30 €11.64

$10.17 ¥68.8

30.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 €46.63

$11.16 ¥75.5

377.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.71 €31.25

$39.62 ¥268

-9.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 €11.98

$14.53 ¥98.3

-5.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 €10.05

$6.38 ¥43.19

80.09%

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

$85.8 €75.0

$407 ¥2,756

-78.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 €105

$45.53 ¥308

162.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 €33.19

$32.31 ¥219

17.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €103

$72.6 ¥491

62.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$74.4 ¥504

82.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 €832

$443 ¥2,996

114.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 €606

$258 ¥1,747

168.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,390

$910 ¥6,162

74.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 €919

$543 ¥3,677

93.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,350 €2,931

$4,934 ¥33.4K

-32.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,044 €2,663

$2,398 ¥16.2K

26.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,145 €1,877

$1,065 ¥7,205

101.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

-1.48%

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

Last update for Reunion: July 12, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $506 in Reunion, $287 in China. Capital cities: $867 in Saint-Pierre vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,959 in Reunion, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 76% higher in Reunion.

Dining out costs 81% more in Reunion.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Reunion.

Salaries are 129% higher in Reunion, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Reunion.

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

Reunion vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $906 in Reunion, there's a 5% 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 Reunion 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 Reunion 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; Reunion may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.