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: $724 in San Marino versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,082 in San Marino versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,439 in San Marino versus $1,574 in China.

Living in San Marino is roughly 1% more expensive than in China on average.

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

San Marino ($255–$1,193) and China ($455–$1,219) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 €14.94

$2.92 ¥19.58

486.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 €49.88

$22.23 ¥149

157.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.54 €13.54

$5.13 ¥34.34

202.92%

Cappuccino

$1.76 €1.53

$2.99 ¥20.03

-41.14%

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

$3.25 €2.83

$0.52 ¥3.50

525.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.32

$0.28 ¥1.87

442.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.12

$1.05 ¥7.04

460.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 €6.10

$2.26 ¥15.17

209.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.11

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.05

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.43

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 ¥88.7

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ¥23.40

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.2

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.43

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.47

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.22

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.45

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.84

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥79.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.85 ¥5.69

135.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.29 ¥1.93

489.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.47 €24.81

$22.67 ¥152

25.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 €4.90

$1.50 ¥10.07

274.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.34

$0.35 ¥2.32

340.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.85 €22.53

$7.29 ¥48.84

254.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.22 ¥8.18

50.82%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

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

$17.4K ¥116.2K

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

$117 €102

$54.0 ¥362

117.34%

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

$22.97 €20.02

$8.41 ¥56.4

173.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.97 €30.48

$10.82 ¥72.5

223.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.41 ¥271

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.77 €22.46

$14.63 ¥98.0

76.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ¥44.18

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

$452 ¥3,025

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ¥128.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 €69.8

$44.23 ¥296

81.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.21 €29.82

$35.46 ¥238

-3.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥500

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.3 €49.92

$78.6 ¥527

-27.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 €716

$394 ¥2,642

108.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 €700

$243 ¥1,630

229.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €889

$845 ¥5,660

20.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 €924

$481 ¥3,221

120.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,609 ¥30.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 ¥15.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,810 €3,321

$1,060 ¥7,100

259.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

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

Last update for San Marino: September 14, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $409 in San Marino, $294 in China. Capital cities: $817 in San Marino vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,907 in San Marino, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 39% higher in San Marino.

Dining out costs 195% more in San Marino.

Salaries are 351% 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 $837 per month in China and $724 in San Marino, there's a 16% 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.