Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serbia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,227 in Serbia, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Serbia
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Serbia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,227

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Serbia and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Serbia and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,227 in Serbia versus $791 in China.

Serbia $1,227
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Serbia versus $1,251 in China.

Serbia $1,873
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,518 in Serbia versus $1,711 in China.

Serbia $2,518
China $1,711

Serbia ($758–$1,541) and China ($465–$1,222) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Serbia is roughly 55% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Serbia 10% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.78 RSD 1,024

$2.98 ¥19.81

228.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.02 RSD 5,029

$22.09 ¥147

117.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 RSD 1,184

$5.20 ¥34.60

117.50%

Cappuccino

$2.28 RSD 239

$2.97 ¥19.74

-23.23%

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

$2.29 RSD 240

$0.48 ¥3.19

377.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RSD 188

$0.30 ¥2.01

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 RSD 292

$1.08 ¥7.18

158.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 RSD 352

$2.28 ¥15.15

47.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 RSD 139

$1.80 ¥11.96

-26.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 RSD 91.5

$1.68 ¥11.15

-48.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 RSD 224

$0.92 ¥6.13

132.61%

Eggs

$2.52 RSD 264

$1.61 ¥10.73

56.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 RSD 1,001

$13.38 ¥89.0

-28.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 RSD 720

$3.35 ¥22.28

105.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 RSD 1,378

$11.35 ¥75.5

15.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 RSD 142

$1.82 ¥12.12

-25.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 RSD 185

$1.31 ¥8.69

35.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RSD 172

$1.49 ¥9.89

10.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 RSD 241

$1.27 ¥8.47

81.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 RSD 95.2

$0.71 ¥4.73

28.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 RSD 69.6

$0.93 ¥6.21

-29.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 RSD 75.3

$0.62 ¥4.12

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RSD 72.4

$0.56 ¥3.74

23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 RSD 469

$3.78 ¥25.15

18.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.62 RSD 694

$12.13 ¥80.7

-45.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RSD 84.2

$0.83 ¥5.54

-3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 RSD 161

$1.68 ¥11.21

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 RSD 76.3

$0.29 ¥1.91

151.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.51 RSD 1,520

$17.83 ¥119

-18.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 RSD 202

$1.49 ¥9.89

29.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RSD 101

$0.37 ¥2.49

159.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.31 RSD 976

$7.10 ¥47.23

31.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RSD 190

$1.26 ¥8.37

43.65%

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

$30.8K RSD 3.2M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

58.21%

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

$24.2K RSD 2.5M

$17.5K ¥116.7K

38.11%

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

$181 RSD 19.0K

$54.6 ¥363

232.09%

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

$21.31 RSD 2,233

$8.73 ¥58.1

144.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.51 RSD 2,986

$11.07 ¥73.6

157.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.15 RSD 3,577

$40.77 ¥271

-16.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.40 RSD 1,508

$14.48 ¥96.4

-0.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 RSD 718

$6.78 ¥45.12

1.18%

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

$326 RSD 34.2K

$517 ¥3,437

-36.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,738 RSD 915.2K

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-55.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.8 RSD 10.2K

$46.53 ¥310

110.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 RSD 4,484

$35.66 ¥237

20.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 RSD 11.1K

$77.0 ¥512

37.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 RSD 13.0K

$80.3 ¥534

55.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 RSD 52.1K

$386 ¥2,567

28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 RSD 38.4K

$235 ¥1,561

56.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 RSD 89.9K

$822 ¥5,469

4.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 RSD 67.3K

$453 ¥3,015

41.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 RSD 305.0K

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-38.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,053 RSD 215.0K

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-13.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$930 RSD 97.4K

$1,093 ¥7,274

-14.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

3.46

40.17%

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

Last update for Serbia: October 27, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Serbia

$367 29.9%

China

$235 29.6% 36% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serbia

$231 18.8%

China

$74 9.4% 67.8% $157

Groceries & Markets

Serbia

$214 17.5%

China

$210 26.5% 1.9% $4.1

Eating Out

Serbia

$177 14.4%

China

$88 11.1% 50.1% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Serbia

$167 13.6%

China

$108 13.6% 35.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Serbia

$48 3.9%

China

$54 6.9% 13.5% $6.5

Getting Around

Serbia

$24 2%

China

$22 2.8% 7.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $331 in Serbia, $298 in China. Capital cities: $806 in Belgrade vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $776 in Serbia, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11% higher in Serbia.

Dining out costs 68% more in Serbia.

Public transport is 44% more expensive in Serbia.

Salaries are 13% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Serbia

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

22:21 10:21 PM

7 h ahead of Serbia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,647,003

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 105 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Serbia China 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Serbia
China

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 $791 per month in China and $1,227 in Serbia, China comes out about 36% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $331 in Serbia and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.