Cost of living comparison
China is 16.7% cheaper than Japan overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 40.5% less in China
- Groceries
-
pay 37.5% less in China
- Transportation
-
pay 38.5% less in China
- Housing
-
pay 49.5% less in China
- Childcare
-
pay 62.3% more in China
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 29.4% less in China
- Clothing
-
pay 15.9% more in China
The cost of childcare and clothing in China are more expensive than in Japan. Expenses including housing, restaurants, transportation, groceries, and entertainment and sports are lower in China.
If you lived in China instead of Japan, you would:
pay 40.5% less for restaurants
|
Japan
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$6.44
¥928
|
$2.85
CN¥20.50
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$4.94
¥712
|
$5.07
CN¥36.38
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$0.97
¥140
|
$0.49
CN¥3.51
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$0.73
¥106
|
$0.30
CN¥2.16
|
|
pay 37.5% less for groceries
|
Japan
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$1.52
¥220
|
$1.59
CN¥11.43
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$5.72
¥824
|
$5.85
CN¥42.01
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$5.46
¥786
|
$6.86
CN¥49.26
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$2.02
¥291
|
$1.60
CN¥11.46
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$2.73
¥393
|
$1.54
CN¥11.07
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.17
¥313
|
$0.76
CN¥5.48
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$1.02
¥148
|
$0.57
CN¥4.11
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.64
¥237
|
$0.65
CN¥4.69
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.04
¥293
|
$0.52
CN¥3.76
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.26
¥182
|
$0.32
CN¥2.31
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.08
¥156
|
$0.40
CN¥2.88
|
|
pay 38.5% less for transportation
|
Japan
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$4.22
¥609
|
$4.44
CN¥31.92
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$57.82
¥8,332
|
$22.47
CN¥161.37
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$22,042.19
¥3,176,500
|
$19,071.53
CN¥136,964.13
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$25.42
¥3,664
|
$3.97
CN¥28.54
|
|
pay 49.5% less for housing
|
Japan
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$31.09
¥4,480
|
$11.70
CN¥83.99
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$500.38
¥72,109
|
$328.33
CN¥2,357.94
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$325.42
¥46,896
|
$205.78
CN¥1,477.83
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$113.04
¥16,290
|
$40.46
CN¥290.56
|
|
pay 62.3% more for childcare
|
Japan
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$288.10
¥41,519
|
$459.70
CN¥3,301.37
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$11,095.30
¥1,598,944
|
$18,318.08
CN¥131,553.12
|
|
pay 29.4% less for entertainment and sports
|
Japan
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$2.71
¥390
|
$1.09
CN¥7.83
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$2.78
¥400
|
$3.07
CN¥22.03
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$3.98
¥574
|
$3.23
CN¥23.22
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$57.72
¥8,317
|
$41.41
CN¥297.38
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$11.97
¥1,726
|
$5.93
CN¥42.55
|
|
pay 15.9% more for clothing
|
Japan
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$40.54
¥5,843
|
$48.23
CN¥346.33
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$26.82
¥3,865
|
$31.67
CN¥227.45
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$54.08
¥7,793
|
$72.53
CN¥520.86
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$81.66
¥11,769
|
$75.53
CN¥542.46
|
|
Change currency:
Help us improve these prices
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about China or Japan. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.