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: $719 in Reunion versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,190 in Reunion versus $1,145 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,661 in Reunion versus $1,570 in China.

Both countries sit below the global median: Reunion 48% lower, China 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.36 €8.06

$2.90 ¥19.42

222.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €88.8

$22.13 ¥148

366.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 €13.18

$5.31 ¥35.57

188.51%

Cappuccino

$3.25 €2.80

$2.99 ¥20.04

8.70%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$0.48 ¥3.21

568.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.23

$0.30 ¥2.03

763.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 €4.43

$1.02 ¥6.82

404.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.11

$2.21 ¥14.81

168.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.74 ¥11.66

-14.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 €2.61

$1.68 ¥11.23

80.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 €2.86

$0.96 ¥6.43

246.88%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.00

$1.54 ¥10.33

201.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.23 €19.13

$13.51 ¥90.5

64.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.12 €13.01

$3.48 ¥23.32

334.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.35 €21.81

$11.34 ¥76.0

123.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.88 ¥12.57

67.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.29 ¥8.67

60.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 €2.55

$1.52 ¥10.17

94.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 €6.10

$1.27 ¥8.52

458.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$0.72 ¥4.83

255.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 €3.24

$0.88 ¥5.89

328.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.32

$0.61 ¥4.06

150.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.63

$0.55 ¥3.72

456.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.29 €11.44

$3.73 ¥25.01

256.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 €7.05

$11.87 ¥79.5

-31.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 €2.99

$0.90 ¥6.03

286.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.68 ¥11.26

57.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.19

$0.29 ¥1.94

779.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.53 €39.18

$22.23 ¥149

104.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.33 ¥49.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.22 ¥8.19

57.38%

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

$19.3K ¥129.4K

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

$17.1K ¥114.7K

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

$126 €108

$53.8 ¥360

133.42%

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

$16.99 €14.62

$8.71 ¥58.4

95.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.51 €39.17

$10.93 ¥73.2

316.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.29 €32.95

$40.74 ¥273

-6.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.83 €11.90

$14.53 ¥97.3

-4.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 €9.87

$6.55 ¥43.87

75.11%

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

$457 ¥3,062

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 €139

$45.62 ¥306

253.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.90 ¥241

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 €119

$76.1 ¥510

82.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$76.4 ¥512

51.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 €873

$385 ¥2,578

163.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 €637

$239 ¥1,601

209.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,974 €1,699

$840 ¥5,627

135.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,134

$484 ¥3,242

172.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,581 ¥30.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,266 ¥15.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,461 €2,117

$1,065 ¥7,137

131.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

15.27%

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

Last update for Reunion: August 31, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $446 in Reunion, $294 in China. Capital cities: $858 in Saint-Denis vs $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,130 in Reunion, $864 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 52% higher in Reunion.

Dining out costs 57% more in Reunion.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 147% 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 $853 per month in China and $880 in Reunion, there's a 3% 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.