Cost of Living Comparison Between Russia and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Russia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,005 in Russia versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,556 in Russia versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,107 in Russia versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Russia is roughly 41% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Russia 25% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Russia: monthly costs span $685 to $1,637, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Russia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.28 ₽772

$2.75 ¥18.83

273.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.41 ₽3,335

$24.03 ¥165

84.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 ₽485

$4.96 ¥33.95

30.24%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ₽194

$3.12 ¥21.37

-17.31%

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

$1.15 ₽86.2

$0.48 ¥3.26

139.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₽38.05

$0.27 ¥1.84

88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 ₽189

$0.98 ¥6.73

157.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₽240

$2.15 ¥14.69

48.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₽90.6

$1.83 ¥12.53

-33.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 ₽52.1

$1.68 ¥11.54

-58.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 ₽109

$0.91 ¥6.21

59.34%

Eggs

$1.75 ₽132

$1.56 ¥10.66

12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 ₽835

$12.97 ¥88.9

-14.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 ₽397

$3.25 ¥22.23

62.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 ₽761

$10.51 ¥72.0

-3.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₽137

$1.81 ¥12.41

0.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ₽145

$1.30 ¥8.90

48.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ₽159

$1.50 ¥10.26

41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 ₽232

$1.15 ¥7.87

168.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽63.4

$0.76 ¥5.20

10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₽54.2

$0.89 ¥6.07

-19.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ₽103

$0.58 ¥3.97

136.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₽51.4

$0.58 ¥3.95

17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₽227

$3.50 ¥23.95

-13.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 ₽609

$11.55 ¥79.1

-29.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₽74.1

$0.78 ¥5.31

26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₽146

$1.61 ¥11.03

21.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₽39.69

$0.44 ¥3.01

20.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.63 ₽2,601

$21.15 ¥145

63.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₽184

$1.36 ¥9.35

80.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₽26.39

$0.36 ¥2.44

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 ₽480

$6.61 ¥45.28

-3.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 ₽55.1

$1.13 ¥7.74

-35.40%

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

$37.6K ₽2.8M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

90.56%

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

$35.8K ₽2.7M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

109.75%

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

$121 ₽9,062

$50.9 ¥349

136.99%

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

$6.60 ₽496

$10.03 ¥68.7

-34.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.05 ₽604

$11.33 ¥77.6

-28.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 ₽2,953

$40.13 ¥275

-2.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 ₽1,599

$14.97 ¥103

42.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ₽416

$6.09 ¥41.74

-9.03%

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

$411 ₽30.9K

$418 ¥2,860

-1.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,272 ₽696.4K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-46.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 ₽5,944

$46.40 ¥318

70.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.90 ₽3,523

$32.92 ¥226

42.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₽8,650

$71.1 ¥487

61.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₽8,805

$72.9 ¥499

60.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₽43.8K

$438 ¥3,003

33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 ₽28.4K

$259 ¥1,775

45.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ₽87.0K

$926 ¥6,341

25.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ₽54.8K

$548 ¥3,754

33.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,674 ₽200.8K

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-47.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,851 ₽139.0K

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-30.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$865 ₽65.0K

$1,074 ¥7,357

-19.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.88

4.06

315.76%

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

Last update for Russia: April 27, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $446 in Russia, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,335 in Moscow vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $802 in Russia, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 56% higher in Russia.

Dining out costs 90% more in Russia.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in China.

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

Russia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $1,161 in Russia, there's a 33% 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 Russia 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 Russia, 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; Russia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.