Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and China Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in United Kingdom versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,520 in United Kingdom versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,635 in United Kingdom versus $1,576 in China.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 234% more expensive than in China on average.

United Kingdom (74% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,100 to $4,235, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 £15.90

$2.93 ¥19.60

634.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 £65.0

$22.72 ¥152

287.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$5.07 ¥33.95

114.79%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.64

$2.94 ¥19.70

67.35%

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

$2.59 £1.91

$0.48 ¥3.21

439.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.30 ¥2.02

513.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.11

$1.06 ¥7.10

551.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 £5.07

$2.25 ¥15.07

204.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.23

$1.79 ¥11.99

-6.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.23

$1.70 ¥11.35

-1.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$0.96 ¥6.45

129.17%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$1.61 ¥10.79

160.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 £7.38

$13.60 ¥91.1

-26.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 £7.00

$3.41 ¥22.84

177.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.39

$11.07 ¥74.2

39.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$1.81 ¥12.09

66.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 £1.25

$1.30 ¥8.74

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$1.48 ¥9.91

97.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 £2.50

$1.30 ¥8.72

160.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.72 ¥4.82

155.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.94 ¥6.31

68.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$0.61 ¥4.08

106.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$0.56 ¥3.73

203.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.21 £17.90

$3.67 ¥24.58

559.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 £8.13

$11.90 ¥79.7

-7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

$0.83 ¥5.56

259.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

$1.65 ¥11.08

105.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.53

$0.29 ¥1.92

1082.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.9

$22.61 ¥151

366.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 £3.96

$1.45 ¥9.72

269.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$0.34 ¥2.31

597.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 £20.36

$7.27 ¥48.72

278.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.23 ¥8.26

56.91%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

103.11%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

135.76%

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

$321 £238

$55.5 ¥371

479.62%

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

$18.67 £13.80

$8.51 ¥57.0

119.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 £32.47

$10.81 ¥72.4

306.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 £34.41

$40.02 ¥268

16.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 £13.83

$14.80 ¥99.1

26.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 £10.00

$6.73 ¥45.09

101.04%

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

$1,739 £1,285

$454 ¥3,042

282.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K £16.7K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

16.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 £67.2

$44.95 ¥301

102.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 £35.04

$35.81 ¥240

32.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £77.8

$76.8 ¥514

37.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.9

$77.3 ¥518

31.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 £1,022

$385 ¥2,581

258.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 £809

$242 ¥1,623

351.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 £1,638

$837 ¥5,603

164.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 £1,341

$474 ¥3,177

282.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,730 £4,235

$4,619 ¥30.9K

24.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,515 £3,337

$2,316 ¥15.5K

94.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,461

$1,062 ¥7,110

213.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

3.47

53.31%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: September 5, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,285 in United Kingdom, $295 in China. Capital cities: $2,926 in London vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,292 in United Kingdom, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 336% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 300% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 406% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 281% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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

United Kingdom vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $2,668 in United Kingdom, there's a 213% 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 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom 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; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.