Cost of Living Comparison Between San Marino and China Cost of Living Comparison Between San Marino and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in San Marino versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in San Marino versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,589 in San Marino versus $1,549 in China.

Living in San Marino is roughly 11% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: San Marino 40% lower, China 47% lower.

San Marino ($360–$1,227) and China ($533–$1,212) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.11

$2.77 ¥18.71

529.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 €56.6

$24.05 ¥162

171.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 €10.06

$4.73 ¥31.91

145.67%

Cappuccino

$1.88 €1.63

$3.08 ¥20.77

-38.96%

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

$3.03 €2.63

$0.44 ¥2.99

588.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.41

$0.29 ¥1.98

458.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.90

$1.01 ¥6.80

346.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €6.02

$2.08 ¥14.02

234.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.83 ¥12.38

-38.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.74

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.1

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.94

$1.81 ¥12.25

23.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.43

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.73 ¥4.91

61.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.51

$0.53 ¥3.58

11.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 €3.68

$3.39 ¥22.91

25.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.47 €3.88

$11.73 ¥79.2

-61.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.68

$0.77 ¥5.22

151.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.41 ¥2.77

331.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.37 €24.57

$21.24 ¥143

33.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €4.85

$1.35 ¥9.12

314.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 €1.44

$0.36 ¥2.40

361.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.94 €22.47

$6.70 ¥45.23

287.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.18 ¥7.98

70.34%

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

$19.8K ¥133.4K

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

$16.5K ¥111.6K

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

$118 €102

$51.7 ¥349

127.33%

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

$22.98 €19.90

$10.09 ¥68.1

127.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.75 €30.09

$11.38 ¥76.8

205.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.3 €65.2

$39.24 ¥265

91.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 €22.99

$14.84 ¥100

78.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 €7.13

$6.30 ¥42.53

30.63%

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

$414 ¥2,793

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 €69.5

$46.77 ¥316

71.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.68 €30.03

$33.08 ¥223

4.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 €50.9

$74.5 ¥503

-21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 €550

$440 ¥2,971

44.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €504

$253 ¥1,706

130.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 €744

$911 ¥6,150

-5.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 €664

$531 ¥3,582

44.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,618 €2,267

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-45.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,285 €1,979

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-4.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,829 €3,316

$1,058 ¥7,140

262.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

4.06

-12.56%

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

Last update for San Marino: July 26, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $324 in San Marino, $287 in China. Capital cities: $649 in San Marino vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,756 in San Marino, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 13% higher in San Marino.

Dining out costs 133% more in San Marino.

Public transport is 20% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 338% higher in San Marino, and purchasing power comes out stronger in San Marino.

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

San Marino vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $794 in San Marino, there's a 10% 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 San Marino: 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 China is consistently higher than in San Marino across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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