Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xi'an and Chengdu

For one person, living costs are similar in Xi'an and in Chengdu: $735 and $741 a month, rent and utilities included.

36

Cost of Living Index in Xi'an
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Xi'an Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index

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Xi'an

🇨🇳 China

$735

/mo nomad

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Xi'an and in Chengdu

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

A single person spends $735 per month in Xi'an vs $741 in Chengdu, rent included.

Xi'an $735
Chengdu $741

A couple spends around $1,141 per month in Xi'an vs $1,204 in Chengdu, rent included.

Xi'an $1,141
Chengdu $1,204

A family of three spends $1,547 per month in Xi'an vs $1,667 in Chengdu, rent included.

Xi'an $1,547
Chengdu $1,667

Xi'an is about 1% cheaper than Chengdu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Xi'an and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Xi'an 46% lower, Chengdu 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ¥18.41

$2.80 ¥18.72

-1.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.75 ¥119

$22.37 ¥150

-20.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥29.76

$4.91 ¥32.85

-9.37%

Cappuccino

$2.12 ¥14.15

$2.88 ¥19.28

-26.39%

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

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.50 ¥3.37

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.28 ¥1.88

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.79

$1.53 ¥10.21

-4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.73

$2.19 ¥14.61

-33.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ¥9.53

$1.90 ¥12.73

-24.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.50 ¥10.02

17.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.06

$0.99 ¥6.62

-8.08%

Eggs

$1.49 ¥9.94

$1.56 ¥10.42

-4.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 ¥77.4

$14.54 ¥97.2

-20.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.97 ¥26.53

$3.66 ¥24.48

8.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 ¥69.3

$11.19 ¥74.8

-7.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.84

$1.85 ¥12.40

-12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.64

$1.37 ¥9.19

-16.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$1.09 ¥7.28

12.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 ¥8.84

$1.16 ¥7.74

13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$0.70 ¥4.70

-8.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.62

$0.72 ¥4.84

-4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.62 ¥4.16

-6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.91

$0.54 ¥3.64

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ¥22.36

$3.72 ¥24.89

-10.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.75 ¥65.2

$4.58 ¥30.61

112.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.05

$0.82 ¥5.49

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$1.48 ¥9.86

14.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.43 ¥2.88

-32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 ¥175

$24.50 ¥164

6.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ¥8.69

$1.30 ¥8.71

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.29 ¥1.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 ¥29.69

$4.46 ¥29.85

-0.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.70

$1.32 ¥8.81

-1.52%

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

$19.5K ¥130.6K

$19.6K ¥130.9K

-0.19%

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

$17.9K ¥119.8K

$17.4K ¥116.1K

3.26%

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

$90.1 ¥603

$47.19 ¥316

90.97%

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

$6.23 ¥41.63

$9.21 ¥61.6

-32.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.79 ¥72.1

$12.45 ¥83.2

-13.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.47 ¥197

$26.80 ¥179

9.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 ¥142

$11.39 ¥76.2

86.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 ¥39.96

$6.08 ¥40.62

-1.64%

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

$701 ¥4,684

$379 ¥2,534

84.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ¥115.4K

$14.8K ¥99.0K

16.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.41 ¥263

$25.28 ¥169

55.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.49 ¥251

$27.77 ¥186

35.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$56.9 ¥381

32.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 ¥618

$52.6 ¥352

75.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 ¥2,093

$464 ¥3,103

-32.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ¥1,202

$248 ¥1,659

-27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 ¥5,772

$813 ¥5,436

6.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ¥2,314

$533 ¥3,565

-35.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,368 ¥15.8K

$3,762 ¥25.2K

-37.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,638 ¥11.0K

$1,902 ¥12.7K

-13.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,089 ¥7,281

$1,252 ¥8,368

-12.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.38

-0.89%

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

Last update for Xi'an: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Xi'an

$193 26.2%

Chengdu

$196 26.5% 1.7% $3.3

Accommodation & Living

Xi'an

$180 24.5%

Chengdu

$248 33.5% 38% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Xi'an

$110 15%

Chengdu

$73 9.9% 33.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xi'an

$107 14.6%

Chengdu

$69 9.3% 35.7% $38

Eating Out

Xi'an

$74 10.1%

Chengdu

$87 11.7% 17.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Xi'an

$41 5.6%

Chengdu

$39 5.3% 6% $2.5

Getting Around

Xi'an

$30 4.1%

Chengdu

$29 3.9% 3.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $313 in Xi'an versus $464 in Chengdu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Chengdu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Xi'an versus $22.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $196 – making Xi'an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xi'an

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

Same time as Xi'an

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,183,280

20,937,757

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Xi'an Chengdu 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Xi'an
Chengdu

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

Xi'an vs Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $735 in Xi'an, $741 in Chengdu – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,103 per month in Xi'an and $1,112 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Xi'an, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Xi'an and $22.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $735 in Xi'an and $741 in Chengdu. That's a gap of about 1%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $735 in Xi'an and $741 in Chengdu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Xi'an – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Xi'an. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.