Cost of Living Comparison Between Yemen and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Yemen and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Yemen versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,393 in Yemen versus $1,145 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,938 in Yemen versus $1,570 in China.

Living in Yemen is roughly 18% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Yemen 38% lower, China 48% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Yemen: monthly costs span $91.0 to $1,850, compared to $458–$1,247 in China. City choice carries more weight in Yemen.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.26 YER 1,956

$2.90 ¥19.44

184.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.25 YER 6,449

$22.13 ¥148

23.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 YER 2,520

$5.31 ¥35.61

100.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 YER 838

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 YER 1,188

Cappuccino

$3.51 YER 831

$2.99 ¥20.06

17.39%

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

$1.87 YER 443

$0.48 ¥3.21

289.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 YER 201

$0.30 ¥2.03

183.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ¥6.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.83

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 YER 728

$1.74 ¥11.67

77.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 YER 344

$1.68 ¥11.24

-13.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 YER 1,074

$0.96 ¥6.43

372.92%

Eggs

$5.72 YER 1,355

$1.54 ¥10.35

271.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 YER 2,768

$13.51 ¥90.7

-13.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 YER 2,716

$3.48 ¥23.35

229.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.83 YER 7,772

$11.34 ¥76.1

189.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.71 YER 1,589

$1.88 ¥12.59

256.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 YER 621

$1.29 ¥8.68

103.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 YER 1,169

$1.52 ¥10.18

225.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 YER 725

$1.27 ¥8.54

140.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 YER 648

$0.72 ¥4.84

280.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 YER 612

$0.88 ¥5.90

194.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 YER 224

$0.61 ¥4.06

55.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 YER 244

$0.55 ¥3.72

87.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.41 YER 808

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 YER 434

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 YER 1,005

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 YER 1,182

$3.73 ¥25.04

34.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥6.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.28

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 YER 95.3

$0.29 ¥1.94

37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 YER 21.1K

$22.23 ¥149

300.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 YER 810

$1.52 ¥10.18

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 YER 564

$0.37 ¥2.49

543.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 YER 1,995

$7.33 ¥49.17

15.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.19 YER 755

$1.22 ¥8.20

161.48%

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

$16.6K YER 3.9M

$19.3K ¥129.5K

-14.11%

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

$48.5K YER 11.5M

$17.1K ¥114.9K

183.36%

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

$88.4 YER 20.9K

$53.8 ¥361

64.48%

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

$20.77 YER 4,917

$8.71 ¥58.5

138.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 YER 13.0K

$10.93 ¥73.3

403.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 YER 14.9K

$40.74 ¥273

54.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.61 YER 3,459

$14.53 ¥97.5

0.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 YER 1,384

$6.55 ¥43.93

-10.69%

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

$87.9 YER 20.8K

$457 ¥3,066

-80.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,963 YER 464.6K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-89.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.6 YER 15.5K

$45.62 ¥306

43.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.7 YER 21.9K

$35.90 ¥241

158.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 YER 16.8K

$76.1 ¥511

-7.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 YER 20.1K

$76.4 ¥513

11.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 YER 60.4K

$385 ¥2,582

-33.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 YER 31.1K

$239 ¥1,603

-45.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 YER 124.2K

$840 ¥5,634

-37.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 YER 84.9K

$484 ¥3,246

-25.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,884 YER 682.7K

$4,581 ¥30.7K

-37.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 YER 234.2K

$2,266 ¥15.2K

-56.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$272 YER 64.4K

$1,065 ¥7,147

-74.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.47

229.11%

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

Last update for Yemen: September 1, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $96.0 in Yemen, $294 in China. Capital cities: $218 in Sanaa vs $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $316 in Yemen, $864 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 206% higher in China.

Dining out costs 43% more in Yemen.

Salaries are 173% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

Yemen vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $853 per month in China and $971 in Yemen, there's a 14% 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 Yemen 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 Yemen 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; Yemen may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.