Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Maria and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Maria and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $676 per month in Santa Maria vs $689 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,082 per month in Santa Maria vs $1,083 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,488 per month in Santa Maria vs $1,477 in Chengdu, rent included.

Santa Maria is about 2% cheaper than Chengdu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Santa Maria and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Santa Maria 50% lower, Chengdu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 R$22.32

$2.85 ¥19.32

54.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.70 R$135

$24.00 ¥162

11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.39 R$32.32

$4.99 ¥33.75

28.06%

Cappuccino

$1.36 R$6.88

$2.77 ¥18.75

-50.90%

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

$0.94 R$4.78

$0.46 ¥3.14

104.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 R$2.99

$0.30 ¥2.06

96.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 R$7.35

$1.13 ¥7.63

28.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 R$17.97

$2.13 ¥14.44

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 R$4.21

$1.80 ¥12.19

-53.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 R$6.97

$1.39 ¥9.39

-0.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$0.90 ¥6.10

17.78%

Eggs

$1.50 R$7.60

$1.86 ¥12.61

-19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 R$42.85

$13.62 ¥92.2

-37.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 R$18.14

$3.56 ¥24.09

0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 R$38.53

$11.23 ¥76.0

-32.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 R$10.51

$1.86 ¥12.62

11.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.37

$1.18 ¥8.00

6.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.65

$1.50 ¥10.16

-12.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$1.04 ¥7.02

41.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.53

$0.70 ¥4.74

55.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.45

$0.70 ¥4.71

54.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.87

$0.56 ¥3.81

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.12

$0.61 ¥4.13

1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.89

$3.24 ¥21.93

-39.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.15

$5.44 ¥36.81

42.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.11

$1.00 ¥6.79

1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 R$9.59

$1.87 ¥12.69

1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.74

$0.41 ¥2.77

129.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.77 R$135

$27.31 ¥185

-1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 R$8.02

$1.22 ¥8.29

29.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 R$5.26

$0.26 ¥1.75

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 R$26.71

$4.09 ¥27.65

29.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.02

$1.14 ¥7.70

-13.16%

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

$23.1K R$116.9K

$18.7K ¥126.7K

23.48%

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

$27.1K R$137.1K

$16.0K ¥108.6K

68.93%

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

$48.41 R$245

$45.05 ¥305

7.46%

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

$14.90 R$75.4

$11.69 ¥79.1

27.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.45 R$83.2

$11.38 ¥77.0

44.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.75 R$110

$24.49 ¥166

-11.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.02 R$55.7

$11.16 ¥75.6

-1.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 R$26.03

$5.54 ¥37.48

-7.04%

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

$142 R$716

$333 ¥2,251

-57.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,668 R$13.5K

$12.1K ¥82.1K

-78.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.06 R$248

$37.92 ¥257

29.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.92 R$197

$38.57 ¥261

0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 R$411

$67.4 ¥456

20.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 R$288

$50.7 ¥343

12.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 R$1,379

$318 ¥2,151

-14.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 R$788

$179 ¥1,214

-13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 R$2,901

$610 ¥4,132

-6.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 R$1,687

$335 ¥2,265

-0.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,954 R$9,884

$3,810 ¥25.8K

-48.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 R$3,455

$1,922 ¥13.0K

-64.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 R$3,154

$1,257 ¥8,510

-50.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

137.53%

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

Last update for Santa Maria: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Santa Maria versus $318 in Chengdu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 102% higher in Chengdu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Santa Maria versus $24.00 in Chengdu. Groceries tell a different story – $169 in Santa Maria vs $196 in Chengdu – so Santa Maria wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Santa Maria vs Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $676 in Santa Maria, $689 in Chengdu – roughly 2% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,015 per month in Santa Maria and $1,033 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Maria, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Santa Maria and $24.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $676 in Santa Maria and $689 in Chengdu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $676 in Santa Maria and $689 in Chengdu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Maria – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Maria. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.