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: $3,474 in United Kingdom versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,585 in United Kingdom versus $1,551 in China.

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

United Kingdom (76% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,678 to $3,892, compared to $520–$1,209 in China. City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.21

$2.81 ¥19.01

626.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £64.8

$23.30 ¥158

273.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 £7.55

$5.01 ¥33.93

102.20%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.50

$3.01 ¥20.42

56.15%

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

$2.36 £1.76

$0.45 ¥3.03

424.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.31

$0.29 ¥1.97

506.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.96

$0.95 ¥6.42

601.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.79

$2.05 ¥13.90

213.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.76 ¥11.89

-3.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.62 ¥11.00

0.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.71

$0.95 ¥6.46

141.05%

Eggs

$4.03 £3.00

$1.56 ¥10.57

158.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 £7.28

$13.06 ¥88.4

-25.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 £6.64

$3.28 ¥22.21

171.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 £10.66

$10.65 ¥72.1

34.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$1.78 ¥12.05

71.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.24 ¥8.43

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$1.50 ¥10.13

89.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.63

$1.15 ¥7.80

206.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$0.75 ¥5.08

114.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$0.86 ¥5.82

82.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$0.62 ¥4.17

88.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$0.56 ¥3.82

178.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.03 £14.92

$3.51 ¥23.80

470.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 £8.12

$11.66 ¥79.0

-6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

$0.80 ¥5.41

262.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.52

$1.66 ¥11.26

103.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 £2.36

$0.43 ¥2.93

637.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 £71.0

$20.86 ¥141

356.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.06

$1.37 ¥9.28

297.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.19

$0.35 ¥2.39

354.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 £20.35

$6.63 ¥44.90

311.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.14 ¥7.71

74.56%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$19.2K ¥129.9K

96.88%

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

$40.2K £29.9K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

139.57%

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

$323 £240

$51.2 ¥347

530.37%

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

$17.22 £12.83

$10.16 ¥68.8

69.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.23 £31.46

$11.51 ¥78.0

266.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 £34.29

$40.53 ¥275

13.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 £11.67

$15.05 ¥102

4.12%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.04

$6.10 ¥41.33

120.98%

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

$1,713 £1,276

$402 ¥2,724

326.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$17.7K ¥119.7K

17.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £68.0

$45.57 ¥309

100.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.88 £33.43

$33.26 ¥225

34.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.0

$72.6 ¥492

40.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £77.5

$74.5 ¥504

39.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 £1,055

$429 ¥2,908

229.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 £843

$257 ¥1,742

339.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 £1,719

$895 ¥6,065

157.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 £1,370

$541 ¥3,667

239.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 £4,266

$5,015 ¥34.0K

14.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,523 £3,370

$2,469 ¥16.7K

83.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,333 £2,483

$1,055 ¥7,143

216.01%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,265 in United Kingdom, $286 in China. Capital cities: $3,019 in London vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,219 in United Kingdom, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 342% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 300% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 417% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 274% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $2,785 in United Kingdom, there's a 222% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.