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: $1,073 in Serbia versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,584 in Serbia versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,095 in Serbia versus $1,549 in China.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Serbia 19% lower, China 47% lower.

Serbia ($861–$1,518) 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

$10.14 RSD 1,031

$2.77 ¥18.71

266.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.81 RSD 5,066

$24.05 ¥162

107.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 RSD 1,106

$4.73 ¥31.91

129.81%

Cappuccino

$2.27 RSD 231

$3.08 ¥20.77

-26.30%

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

$2.24 RSD 227

$0.44 ¥2.99

409.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RSD 168

$0.29 ¥1.98

468.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 RSD 296

$1.01 ¥6.80

188.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 RSD 362

$2.08 ¥14.02

71.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 RSD 146

$1.83 ¥12.38

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 RSD 90.1

$1.62 ¥10.94

-45.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 RSD 264

$0.97 ¥6.58

167.01%

Eggs

$2.65 RSD 270

$1.61 ¥10.90

64.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 RSD 1,055

$13.34 ¥90.1

-22.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 RSD 757

$3.37 ¥22.74

121.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 RSD 1,251

$10.68 ¥72.1

15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 RSD 128

$1.81 ¥12.25

-30.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 RSD 194

$1.25 ¥8.43

52.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 RSD 178

$1.46 ¥9.88

19.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 RSD 242

$1.15 ¥7.73

106.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 RSD 107

$0.73 ¥4.91

43.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 RSD 91.0

$0.89 ¥5.99

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RSD 81.7

$0.60 ¥4.05

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 RSD 74.1

$0.53 ¥3.58

37.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 RSD 440

$3.39 ¥22.91

27.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 RSD 695

$11.73 ¥79.2

-41.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RSD 83.7

$0.77 ¥5.22

6.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RSD 174

$1.63 ¥10.97

4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RSD 82.4

$0.41 ¥2.77

97.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 RSD 2,007

$21.24 ¥143

-7.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 RSD 199

$1.35 ¥9.12

45.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 RSD 92.6

$0.36 ¥2.40

152.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.69 RSD 1,189

$6.70 ¥45.23

74.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RSD 188

$1.18 ¥7.98

56.78%

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

$30.6K RSD 3.1M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

55.04%

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

$27.5K RSD 2.8M

$16.5K ¥111.6K

66.43%

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

$194 RSD 19.7K

$51.7 ¥349

275.18%

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

$20.18 RSD 2,053

$10.09 ¥68.1

100.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.62 RSD 3,114

$11.38 ¥76.8

169.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.02 RSD 3,561

$39.24 ¥265

-10.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.08 RSD 1,839

$14.84 ¥100

21.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 RSD 683

$6.30 ¥42.53

6.51%

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

$368 RSD 37.4K

$414 ¥2,793

-11.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,283 RSD 842.4K

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-52.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.5 RSD 10.1K

$46.77 ¥316

112.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.45 RSD 4,317

$33.08 ¥223

28.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 RSD 11.4K

$70.9 ¥479

58.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 RSD 12.4K

$74.5 ¥503

64.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 RSD 59.1K

$440 ¥2,971

31.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 RSD 42.4K

$253 ¥1,706

64.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 RSD 106.8K

$911 ¥6,150

15.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 RSD 74.4K

$531 ¥3,582

37.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,088 RSD 314.0K

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-35.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,127 RSD 216.3K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-11.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 RSD 97.0K

$1,058 ¥7,140

-9.79%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $378 in Serbia, $287 in China. Capital cities: $863 in Belgrade vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $775 in Serbia, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 32% higher in Serbia.

Dining out costs 67% more in Serbia.

Public transport is 28% more expensive in Serbia.

Salaries are 11% 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 $873 per month in China and $1,190 in Serbia, there's a 36% 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.