Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samoa and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $847 in Samoa, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Samoa despite lower rent and utilities.

57

Cost of Living Index in Samoa
Learn more

Samoa Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇼🇸 Samoa

$847

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samoa and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Samoa and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $847 in Samoa versus $800 in China.

Samoa $847
China $800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,303 in Samoa versus $1,266 in China.

Samoa $2,303
China $1,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,758 in Samoa versus $1,731 in China.

Samoa $3,758
China $1,731

Internal cost variation is higher in Samoa: monthly costs span $835 to $835, compared to $462–$1,256 in China. City choice carries more weight in Samoa.

Living in Samoa is roughly 6% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Samoa 37% lower, China 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$46.41 WST 129

$2.92 ¥19.50

1489.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.03 WST 103

$22.45 ¥150

64.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.81 WST 41.26

$5.33 ¥35.65

177.86%

Cappuccino

$2.83 WST 7.89

$3.04 ¥20.34

-6.91%

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

$1.84 WST 5.11

$0.48 ¥3.23

283.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 WST 3.89

$0.30 ¥2.02

363.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 WST 9.85

$1.07 ¥7.12

230.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 WST 10.08

$2.26 ¥15.11

60.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 WST 4.92

$1.75 ¥11.70

1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 WST 2.33

$1.62 ¥10.80

-48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 WST 4.99

$0.99 ¥6.63

80.81%

Eggs

$4.35 WST 12.10

$1.56 ¥10.44

178.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.87 WST 2.43

$13.25 ¥88.6

-93.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 WST 10.26

$3.37 ¥22.50

9.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 WST 23.79

$11.39 ¥76.2

-25.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 WST 14.42

$1.82 ¥12.19

184.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 WST 5.01

$1.25 ¥8.34

44.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 WST 5.14

$1.55 ¥10.39

18.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 WST 12.24

$1.28 ¥8.55

243.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 WST 10.06

$0.71 ¥4.72

408.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 WST 3.08

$0.86 ¥5.75

27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 WST 3.30

$0.59 ¥3.97

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.21 WST 17.28

$3.76 ¥25.14

65.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.43 WST 45.77

$11.76 ¥78.6

39.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 WST 5.15

$0.91 ¥6.11

103.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 WST 10.22

$1.62 ¥10.86

126.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 WST 9.96

$0.31 ¥2.10

1054.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 WST 15.40

$1.52 ¥10.17

263.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.44 WST 15.14

$0.37 ¥2.50

1370.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.96 WST 61.2

$7.28 ¥48.66

201.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 WST 3.11

$1.25 ¥8.38

-10.40%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

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

$17.83 WST 49.65

$55.5 ¥371

-67.87%

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

$18.05 WST 50.3

$8.29 ¥55.4

117.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.72 WST 102

$10.97 ¥73.3

234.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

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

$465 ¥3,108

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 WST 4,997

$466 ¥3,116

284.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

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

Last update for Samoa: October 19, 2026

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Eating Out

Samoa

$488 57.6%

China

$89 11.1% 81.8% $399

Groceries & Markets

Samoa

$240 * 28.3%

China

$209 26.1% 13% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samoa

$73 8.6%

China

$75 9.3% 3% $2.2

Getting Around

Samoa

$47 * 5.6%

China

$27 3.4% 41.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Samoa

- * 0%

China

$54 6.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Samoa

- * 0%

China

$107 13.4%

Accommodation & Living

Samoa

- * 0%

China

$240 30%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 71% more in Samoa.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Samoa

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

02:53 2:53 AM

5 h behind Samoa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,010

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.319 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 2.79 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.13 WST (1 WST = 0.319 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samoa China 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Samoa
China

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Samoa vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $847 in Samoa, there's a 6% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Samoa 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; Samoa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.