Cost of Living Comparison Between Serbia and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Serbia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,074 in Serbia versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,580 in Serbia versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,085 in Serbia versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Serbia is roughly 51% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Serbia 20% lower, China 47% lower.

Serbia ($828–$1,507) and China ($525–$1,220) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 RSD 979

$2.75 ¥18.83

254.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.29 RSD 4,942

$24.03 ¥165

105.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 RSD 1,065

$4.96 ¥33.95

114.31%

Cappuccino

$2.28 RSD 229

$3.12 ¥21.37

-26.92%

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

$2.19 RSD 220

$0.48 ¥3.26

356.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 RSD 173

$0.27 ¥1.84

537.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 RSD 294

$0.98 ¥6.73

198.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 RSD 356

$2.15 ¥14.69

65.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 RSD 149

$1.83 ¥12.53

-18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 RSD 87.2

$1.68 ¥11.54

-48.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 RSD 260

$0.91 ¥6.21

185.71%

Eggs

$2.77 RSD 278

$1.56 ¥10.66

77.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 RSD 1,036

$12.97 ¥88.9

-20.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 RSD 709

$3.25 ¥22.23

117.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.37 RSD 1,240

$10.51 ¥72.0

17.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 RSD 126

$1.81 ¥12.41

-30.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 RSD 189

$1.30 ¥8.90

44.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 RSD 180

$1.50 ¥10.26

19.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 RSD 242

$1.15 ¥7.87

110.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 RSD 105

$0.76 ¥5.20

38.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 RSD 84.6

$0.89 ¥6.07

-5.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 81.6

$0.58 ¥3.97

39.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RSD 71.8

$0.58 ¥3.95

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 RSD 436

$3.50 ¥23.95

24.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.95 RSD 697

$11.55 ¥79.1

-39.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RSD 82.3

$0.78 ¥5.31

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RSD 173

$1.61 ¥11.03

7.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RSD 76.1

$0.44 ¥3.01

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.03 RSD 2,008

$21.15 ¥145

-5.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 RSD 192

$1.36 ¥9.35

41.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 RSD 93.1

$0.36 ¥2.44

158.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.76 RSD 1,179

$6.61 ¥45.28

77.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 RSD 186

$1.13 ¥7.74

64.60%

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

$30.4K RSD 3.1M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

54.10%

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

$27.4K RSD 2.7M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

60.24%

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

$190 RSD 19.1K

$50.9 ¥349

273.82%

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

$19.78 RSD 1,983

$10.03 ¥68.7

97.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.56 RSD 3,064

$11.33 ¥77.6

169.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 RSD 3,535

$40.13 ¥275

-12.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 RSD 1,808

$14.97 ¥103

20.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 RSD 687

$6.09 ¥41.74

12.48%

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

$371 RSD 37.2K

$418 ¥2,860

-11.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,382 RSD 840.4K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-51.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.5 RSD 9,872

$46.40 ¥318

112.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.16 RSD 4,227

$32.92 ¥226

28.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 RSD 11.3K

$71.1 ¥487

57.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 RSD 11.9K

$72.9 ¥499

63.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 RSD 59.9K

$438 ¥3,003

36.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 RSD 42.6K

$259 ¥1,775

64.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 RSD 102.9K

$926 ¥6,341

10.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 RSD 74.7K

$548 ¥3,754

35.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,186 RSD 319.4K

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-36.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RSD 220.1K

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-17.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$956 RSD 95.8K

$1,074 ¥7,357

-11.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.95

4.06

71.18%

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

Last update for Serbia: April 27, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $376 in Serbia, $286 in China. Capital cities: $871 in Belgrade vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $774 in Serbia, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in Serbia.

Dining out costs 67% more in Serbia.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in Serbia.

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

Serbia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $1,168 in Serbia, there's a 34% 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 Serbia 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 Serbia, 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; Serbia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.