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: $2,363 in United Kingdom versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,471 in United Kingdom versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,579 in United Kingdom versus $1,550 in China.

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 232% more expensive than in China on average.

United Kingdom (77% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,670 to $3,916, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.06

$2.86 ¥19.32

607.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$23.44 ¥158

276.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.71

$4.84 ¥32.70

113.84%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.55

$3.11 ¥21.03

53.38%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$0.44 ¥2.99

454.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$0.29 ¥1.99

496.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.10

$0.98 ¥6.63

598.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.85

$2.05 ¥13.86

218.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.84 ¥12.45

-9.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.62 ¥10.92

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$0.93 ¥6.27

137.63%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.05

$1.63 ¥11.01

150.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.09

$13.15 ¥88.8

-27.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.72

$3.26 ¥22.06

176.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 £10.55

$10.62 ¥71.8

33.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$1.80 ¥12.17

64.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.30 ¥8.76

29.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$1.46 ¥9.88

94.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$1.20 ¥8.13

184.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$0.76 ¥5.13

122.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.88 ¥5.93

79.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$0.57 ¥3.86

96.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.54 ¥3.62

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.16 £15.01

$3.42 ¥23.14

489.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 £7.80

$11.75 ¥79.4

-10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.14

$0.80 ¥5.39

258.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.45

$1.62 ¥10.94

103.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$0.43 ¥2.93

674.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.7

$20.47 ¥138

370.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 £4.12

$1.36 ¥9.22

306.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.19

$0.35 ¥2.39

357.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.48

$6.50 ¥43.90

323.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.12 ¥7.58

69.64%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$19.5K ¥131.6K

95.61%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$16.9K ¥113.9K

143.13%

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

$326 £243

$51.7 ¥349

530.68%

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

$17.18 £12.79

$10.17 ¥68.7

68.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.99

$11.16 ¥75.4

284.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 £34.20

$39.62 ¥268

15.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 £11.82

$14.53 ¥98.2

9.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 £10.27

$6.38 ¥43.12

116.30%

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

$1,723 £1,283

$407 ¥2,752

322.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

16.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.2

$45.53 ¥308

98.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 £33.05

$32.31 ¥218

37.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.8

$72.6 ¥490

42.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.4

$74.4 ¥503

37.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 £1,056

$443 ¥2,992

220.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £851

$258 ¥1,745

342.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 £1,711

$910 ¥6,152

152.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,394

$543 ¥3,672

244.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,264

$4,934 ¥33.3K

16.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,231

$2,398 ¥16.2K

80.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,430

$1,065 ¥7,194

206.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

4.06

41.63%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,266 in United Kingdom, $287 in China. Capital cities: $2,937 in London vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,192 in United Kingdom, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 341% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 300% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 411% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 273% 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 $862 per month in China and $2,793 in United Kingdom, there's a 224% 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.