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: $949 in Reunion versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,444 in Reunion versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,939 in Reunion versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Reunion is roughly 33% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Reunion 29% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.25 €15.70

$2.81 ¥18.98

549.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 €64.3

$23.30 ¥158

221.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.72 €11.80

$5.01 ¥33.87

173.85%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.80

$3.01 ¥20.38

7.97%

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

$3.82 €3.29

$0.45 ¥3.03

748.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.44

$0.29 ¥1.97

875.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 €4.00

$0.95 ¥6.41

389.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 €4.09

$2.05 ¥13.87

131.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.76 ¥11.87

-30.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 €2.75

$1.62 ¥10.98

97.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$0.95 ¥6.45

121.05%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.22

$1.56 ¥10.55

214.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.56 €20.27

$13.06 ¥88.3

80.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.32 €12.32

$3.28 ¥22.17

336.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.84 €19.64

$10.65 ¥72.0

114.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 €2.58

$1.78 ¥12.03

68.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.24 ¥8.42

75.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.50 ¥10.12

90.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.15 ¥7.79

180.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.10

$0.75 ¥5.07

225.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.86 ¥5.81

156.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.62 ¥4.17

164.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$0.56 ¥3.81

119.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.53 €12.50

$3.51 ¥23.76

313.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.24

$11.66 ¥78.9

-17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.99

$0.80 ¥5.40

190.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$1.66 ¥11.25

115.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.03

$0.43 ¥2.93

448.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.68 €39.29

$20.86 ¥141

118.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.82

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.14 ¥7.69

88.60%

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

$36.6K €31.5K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

90.79%

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

$31.1K €26.7K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

85.30%

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

$115 €99.0

$51.2 ¥346

124.94%

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

$13.16 €11.32

$10.16 ¥68.7

29.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 €46.29

$11.51 ¥77.9

367.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.24 €31.17

$40.53 ¥274

-10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 €12.14

$15.05 ¥102

-6.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 €10.13

$6.10 ¥41.26

93.11%

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

$87.6 €75.3

$402 ¥2,719

-78.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €102

$45.57 ¥308

158.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.41 €32.18

$33.26 ¥225

12.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €101

$72.6 ¥491

61.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$74.5 ¥503

83.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 €818

$429 ¥2,903

121.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €602

$257 ¥1,739

172.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 €1,348

$895 ¥6,055

75.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 €937

$541 ¥3,660

101.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,457 €2,974

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-31.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,069 €2,640

$2,469 ¥16.7K

24.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,175 €1,871

$1,055 ¥7,132

106.24%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $511 in Reunion, $286 in China. Capital cities: $890 in Saint-Pierre vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,000 in Reunion, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 79% higher in Reunion.

Dining out costs 81% more in Reunion.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Reunion.

Salaries are 132% higher in Reunion, giving Reunion 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

Reunion vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $897 in Reunion, there's a 4% 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 Reunion 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 Reunion, 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; Reunion may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.