Cost of Living Comparison Between Xi'an and Contagem Cost of Living Comparison Between Xi'an and Contagem

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $705 per month in Xi'an vs $671 in Contagem, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,098 per month in Xi'an vs $1,088 in Contagem, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Xi'an vs $1,504 in Contagem, rent included.

Xi'an costs about 5% more than Contagem, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Xi'an and Contagem are more affordable than the global median – Xi'an 47% lower, Contagem 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ¥18.70

$4.60 R$23.49

-40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 ¥124

$17.71 R$90.5

3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 ¥38.57

$5.79 R$29.57

-1.55%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ¥22.47

$1.24 R$6.33

167.74%

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

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.86 R$4.37

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$0.43 R$2.19

-34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ¥7.42

$1.18 R$6.04

-6.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.43

$2.21 R$11.30

-23.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ¥10.13

$0.88 R$4.48

70.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.90

$1.47 R$7.49

9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.47

$1.54 R$7.89

-47.40%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.43

$1.55 R$7.93

9.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 ¥48.38

$7.92 R$40.46

-9.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.49

$3.18 R$16.25

-37.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.78 ¥59.4

$5.24 R$26.75

67.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.28

$1.84 R$9.39

-9.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.65

$1.28 R$6.57

-11.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 ¥9.05

$0.92 R$4.71

45.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.16

$1.32 R$6.73

-42.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.78

$1.03 R$5.24

-31.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.81 R$4.16

-24.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 ¥3.45

$0.69 R$3.54

-26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.79

$0.64 R$3.26

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 ¥19.15

$2.22 R$11.35

27.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.29 ¥49.32

$5.89 R$30.09

23.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.88

$1.04 R$5.31

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.60

$2.14 R$10.92

-20.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ¥3.44

$1.37 R$7.01

-62.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 ¥228

$73.8 R$377

-54.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 ¥9.44

$0.92 R$4.69

51.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$1.03 R$5.28

-70.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.68

$8.07 R$41.23

-49.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.63

$1.05 R$5.39

7.62%

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

$20.8K ¥141.1K

$24.9K R$127.5K

-16.44%

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

$16.3K ¥110.5K

$28.8K R$147.4K

-43.39%

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

$45.31 ¥307

$64.0 R$327

-29.24%

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

$6.04 ¥40.89

$14.36 R$73.4

-57.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.98 ¥81.1

$16.12 R$82.4

-25.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.08 ¥292

$24.21 R$124

77.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 ¥111

$21.20 R$108

-22.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 ¥32.30

$6.31 R$32.24

-24.41%

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

$334 ¥2,259

$137 R$701

143.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.5K

$6,743 R$34.5K

161.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥373

$52.2 R$267

5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.80 ¥256

$36.62 R$187

3.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ¥475

$72.0 R$368

-2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 ¥484

$65.8 R$336

8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ¥1,716

$204 R$1,040

24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 ¥1,313

$120 R$612

62.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ¥3,433

$439 R$2,243

15.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ¥2,534

$265 R$1,356

41.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,355 ¥15.9K

$1,976 R$10.1K

19.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,631 ¥11.0K

$964 R$4,925

69.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,085 ¥7,346

$250 R$1,279

333.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

10.83

-60.11%

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

Last update for Xi'an: July 14, 2026

Last update for Contagem: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $254 in Xi'an versus $204 in Contagem. 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 334% higher in Xi'an, 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 $18.00 in Contagem. Groceries tell a different story – $157 in Xi'an vs $155 in Contagem – so Contagem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Contagem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Xi'an is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,057 per month in Xi'an and $1,006 in Contagem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 119% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $334 per month in Xi'an and $137 in Contagem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $705 in Xi'an and $671 in Contagem, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – 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 Contagem. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Xi'an makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.