Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Seychelles and China

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $2,075 in the Seychelles, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Seychelles
China
🇸🇨 Seychelles
$2,075
/mo nomad
🇨🇳 China
$791
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Seychelles 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 the Seychelles and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,075 in the Seychelles versus $791 in China.

  • Seychelles $2,075
  • China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,288 in the Seychelles versus $1,251 in China.

  • Seychelles $3,288
  • China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in the Seychelles versus $1,711 in China.

  • Seychelles $4,502
  • China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $1,765–$2,213 in the Seychelles. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in the Seychelles is roughly 162% more expensive than in China on average.

The Seychelles (52% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seychelles
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.65 SCR 271
$2.98 ¥19.81
525.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.9 SCR 1,336
$22.09 ¥147
316.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.55 SCR 182
$5.20 ¥34.60
141.35%
Cappuccino
$4.46 SCR 64.8
$2.97 ¥19.74
50.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 SCR 33.43
$0.48 ¥3.19
379.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 SCR 32.37
$0.30 ¥2.01
643.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.63 SCR 111
$1.08 ¥7.18
606.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 SCR 55.6
$2.28 ¥15.15
67.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seychelles
China
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 SCR 26.66
$1.80 ¥11.96
1.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.68 SCR 24.47
$1.68 ¥11.15
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.40 SCR 34.85
$0.92 ¥6.13
160.87%
Eggs
$3.76 SCR 54.7
$1.61 ¥10.73
133.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.58 SCR 255
$13.38 ¥89.1
31.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.63 SCR 111
$3.35 ¥22.28
127.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.63 SCR 184
$11.35 ¥75.5
11.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.13 SCR 31.00
$1.82 ¥12.12
17.03%
Banana (1kg)
$2.95 SCR 42.83
$1.31 ¥8.69
125.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.95 SCR 28.27
$1.49 ¥9.89
30.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.39 SCR 107
$1.27 ¥8.47
481.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.48 SCR 21.46
$0.71 ¥4.73
108.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 SCR 23.26
$0.93 ¥6.21
72.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 SCR 21.13
$0.62 ¥4.12
133.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 SCR 17.78
$0.56 ¥3.74
117.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.31 SCR 353
$3.78 ¥25.15
543.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.47 SCR 152
$12.13 ¥80.7
-13.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.35 SCR 48.67
$0.83 ¥5.54
303.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.98 SCR 57.8
$1.68 ¥11.21
136.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Seychelles
China
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.74 SCR 10.72
$0.29 ¥1.92
155.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.29 SCR 571
$17.83 ¥119
120.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$28.25 SCR 410
$1.49 ¥9.89
1795.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.37 ¥2.49
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.29 SCR 208
$7.10 ¥47.24
101.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.60 SCR 23.29
$1.26 ¥8.37
26.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K SCR 384.7K
$19.4K ¥129.4K
36.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.3K SCR 469.8K
$17.5K ¥116.7K
84.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seychelles
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$130 SCR 1,889
$54.6 ¥363
138.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.58 SCR 604
$8.73 ¥58.1
376.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$122 SCR 1,773
$11.07 ¥73.6
1002.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seychelles
China
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.6 SCR 1,316
$40.77 ¥271
122.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.04 SCR 117
$14.48 ¥96.4
-44.48%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 SCR 108
$6.78 ¥45.12
9.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seychelles
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$140 SCR 2,036
$517 ¥3,438
-72.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,505 SCR 123.6K
$19.8K ¥131.8K
-57.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seychelles
China
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.67 SCR 533
$46.53 ¥310
-21.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.66 SCR 358
$35.66 ¥237
-30.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.0 SCR 1,075
$77.0 ¥512
-3.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 SCR 1,594
$80.3 ¥534
36.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seychelles
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$923 SCR 13.4K
$386 ¥2,567
139.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$856 SCR 12.4K
$235 ¥1,561
264.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,113 SCR 30.7K
$822 ¥5,469
157.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,722 SCR 25.0K
$453 ¥3,015
280.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$682 SCR 9,905
$4,697 ¥31.3K
-85.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$879 SCR 12.8K
$2,372 ¥15.8K
-62.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seychelles
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$815 SCR 11.8K
$1,093 ¥7,274
-25.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12
3.46
246.82%

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

Last update for the Seychelles: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seychelles
$856
China
$235 72.6% $621
Groceries & Markets
Seychelles
$336
China
$210 37.4% $125
Eating Out
Seychelles
$304
China
$88 71.1% $216
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seychelles
$294
China
$74 74.7% $219
Clothing & Footwear
Seychelles
$110
China
$108 2.3% $2.5
Sport & Entertainment
Seychelles
$105
China
$54 48.5% $51
Getting Around
Seychelles
$70 *
China
$22 68.3% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $957 in the Seychelles, $298 in China. Capital cities: $918 in Victoria vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $903 in the Seychelles, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 221% higher in the Seychelles.

Dining out costs 218% more in the Seychelles.

Public transport is 72% more expensive in the Seychelles.

Good to know
🇸🇨 Seychelles
🇨🇳 China
🕒 Local time
01:43 1:43 AM
05:43 5:43 AM
4 h ahead of the Seychelles
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,773
1,442,965,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to SCR – Seychellois Rupee Converter

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 14.53 SCR (100 SCR = 6.88 USD). 1 EUR = 16.17 SCR (100 SCR = 6.18 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seychelles China 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seychelles
  • 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
Seychelles vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or the Seychelles?
At $791 per month in China and $2,075 in the Seychelles, China comes out about 62% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: China or the Seychelles?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between China and the Seychelles?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $957 in the Seychelles and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in China and in the Seychelles?
It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

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