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: $1,081 in Serbia versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,605 in Serbia versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,129 in Serbia versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Serbia is roughly 50% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Serbia 21% lower, China 47% lower.

Serbia ($790–$1,638) 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

$10.03 RSD 1,024

$2.92 ¥19.58

243.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.23 RSD 4,922

$22.23 ¥149

116.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 RSD 1,204

$5.13 ¥34.33

130.02%

Cappuccino

$2.38 RSD 243

$2.99 ¥20.03

-20.40%

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

$2.27 RSD 231

$0.52 ¥3.50

336.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 RSD 185

$0.28 ¥1.87

546.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 RSD 296

$1.05 ¥7.04

176.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 RSD 341

$2.26 ¥15.17

47.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 RSD 142

$1.81 ¥12.11

-23.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 RSD 95.7

$1.68 ¥11.23

-44.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 RSD 241

$0.90 ¥6.05

162.22%

Eggs

$2.59 RSD 264

$1.56 ¥10.43

66.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 RSD 1,018

$13.24 ¥88.7

-24.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 RSD 700

$3.49 ¥23.39

96.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 RSD 1,422

$11.23 ¥75.2

24.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 RSD 146

$1.86 ¥12.43

-23.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 RSD 188

$1.26 ¥8.47

46.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 RSD 176

$1.53 ¥10.22

13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 RSD 252

$1.26 ¥8.45

96.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 RSD 99.8

$0.73 ¥4.91

34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 RSD 71.6

$0.88 ¥5.89

-20.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 RSD 80.0

$0.65 ¥4.33

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RSD 70.6

$0.58 ¥3.88

18.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 RSD 465

$3.71 ¥24.84

22.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 RSD 723

$11.80 ¥79.0

-39.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RSD 91.4

$0.85 ¥5.69

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RSD 161

$1.67 ¥11.19

-5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RSD 82.6

$0.29 ¥1.92

179.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.98 RSD 1,222

$22.67 ¥152

-47.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 RSD 196

$1.50 ¥10.07

28.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 RSD 96.5

$0.35 ¥2.32

171.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.88 RSD 1,212

$7.29 ¥48.83

62.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 RSD 192

$1.22 ¥8.18

54.10%

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

$31.7K RSD 3.2M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

67.15%

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

$25.3K RSD 2.6M

$17.4K ¥116.2K

45.55%

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

$190 RSD 19.3K

$54.0 ¥361

251.24%

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

$22.28 RSD 2,274

$8.41 ¥56.3

164.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.90 RSD 3,153

$10.82 ¥72.4

185.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.64 RSD 3,739

$40.41 ¥271

-9.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.38 RSD 1,468

$14.63 ¥98.0

-1.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.82 RSD 696

$6.60 ¥44.17

3.33%

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

$335 RSD 34.2K

$452 ¥3,024

-25.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,100 RSD 928.7K

$19.2K ¥128.8K

-52.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.9 RSD 9,995

$44.23 ¥296

121.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.85 RSD 4,476

$35.46 ¥237

23.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 RSD 11.4K

$74.7 ¥500

49.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 RSD 13.8K

$78.6 ¥526

72.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 RSD 51.3K

$394 ¥2,641

27.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 RSD 37.6K

$243 ¥1,630

51.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 RSD 89.9K

$845 ¥5,659

4.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 RSD 66.3K

$481 ¥3,220

35.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 RSD 311.7K

$4,609 ¥30.9K

-33.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,075 RSD 211.7K

$2,327 ¥15.6K

-10.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$959 RSD 97.8K

$1,060 ¥7,098

-9.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.88

3.47

40.63%

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

Last update for Serbia: September 14, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $345 in Serbia, $294 in China. Capital cities: $841 in Belgrade vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $789 in Serbia, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 17% higher in Serbia.

Dining out costs 86% more in Serbia.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 10% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $837 per month in China and $1,214 in Serbia, there's a 45% 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 China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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; Serbia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.