Cost of Living · CN vs CZ
🇨🇳 Shanghai vs 🇨🇿 Prague: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $981 in China vs $1,470 in Czechia — 50% more expensive.
- Essentials, China
- $981/mo
- Essentials, Czechia
- $1,470/mo
- Difference
- +50%
- 1-bed city rent, Czechia
- $999/mo
Biggest differences
Smallest premium in Czechia
- Petrol/gasoline, 1L: +14%
- Jeans (mid-range brand): +14%
- Running shoes (brand): +14%
Pricier in Czechia
- Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +59%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +59%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +59%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | China | Czechia | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $628 | $999 (21,859 CZK) | +59% |
| Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $502 | $799 (17,487 CZK) | +59% |
| Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,149 | $1,827 (39,971 CZK) | +59% |
| Food out | |||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.05 | $11.59 (254 CZK) | +44% |
| Dinner for two, mid-range | $33.53 | $48.28 (1,056 CZK) | +44% |
| Fast-food combo meal | $5.29 | $7.37 (161 CZK) | +39% |
| Groceries | |||
| Milk, 1L | $0.61 | $0.80 (18 CZK) | +31% |
| Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.78 | $2.32 (51 CZK) | +30% |
| Eggs, dozen | $1.89 | $2.47 (54 CZK) | +31% |
| Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.57 | $7.26 (159 CZK) | +30% |
| White rice, 1kg | $2.23 | $2.90 (63 CZK) | +30% |
| Apples, 1kg | $2.67 | $3.48 (76 CZK) | +30% |
| Local cheese, 1kg | $6.68 | $8.71 (191 CZK) | +30% |
| Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.11 | $1.45 (32 CZK) | +31% |
| Drinks | |||
| Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.68 | $3.86 (84 CZK) | +44% |
| Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.97 | $6.82 (149 CZK) | +14% |
| Cappuccino | $2.24 | $3.22 (70 CZK) | +44% |
| Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.28 | $1.67 (37 CZK) | +30% |
| Transport | |||
| Public transport, monthly pass | $31.27 | $43.55 (953 CZK) | +39% |
| Public transport, one-way | $1.32 | $1.84 (40 CZK) | +39% |
| Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.79 | $2.57 (56 CZK) | +44% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.80 | $1.16 (25 CZK) | +45% |
| Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.71 | $0.81 (18 CZK) | +14% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $96.20 | $134 (2,932 CZK) | +39% |
| Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $33.67 | $46.90 (1,026 CZK) | +39% |
| Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $21.65 | $30.15 (660 CZK) | +39% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| Gym membership, month | $22.35 | $32.18 (704 CZK) | +44% |
| Cinema seat | $6.26 | $9.01 (197 CZK) | +44% |
| Men's haircut | $13.41 | $19.31 (423 CZK) | +44% |
| Jeans (mid-range brand) | $41.04 | $46.86 (1,025 CZK) | +14% |
| Running shoes (brand) | $67.16 | $76.68 (1,678 CZK) | +14% |
| Coworking hot desk, month | $112 | $161 (3,521 CZK) | +44% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Beyond prices
What each place pays, charges and offers — wages, rent, healthcare, climate, risk and time off. Figures come from the same engines behind the individual tools, so they match what those pages say. They sit about 7,033 km apart as the crow flies.
| Measure | 🇨🇳 China | 🇨🇿 Czechia |
|---|---|---|
| Median local wage Monthly, USD. The local midpoint, not an average. | $767 | $2,315 |
| Rent, modelled 1-bed Monthly, USD. | — | $842 |
| Rent as % of a local wage Are locals priced out? | — | 36.4% |
| Out-of-pocket healthcare Per person per year, USD. | $246 | $379 |
| Doctors per 1,000 WHO. | 3.1 | 4.3 |
| Comfortable days a year 18-27 °C and dry. Measured at Shanghai and Prague. | 77 | 73 |
| Rule of law World Bank WGI. A survey composite, so the band leads, not the decimal. | middling | strong |
| Country risk INFORM, 0-10. Lower is safer. | 2.9 (low) | 1.9 (very low) |
| Public holidays Observed nationwide; regional days are counted separately. | 6 | 13 |
| Air quality Mean annual PM2.5, µg/m³. WHO guideline is 5. Lower is better. | 32.1 | 11.2 |
| Life expectancy Years at birth — the outcome, not the spending. | 78 | 80 |
| Homicide rate Per 100,000 a year. A count, not a perception score. | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| Population online % using the internet. Reach, not speed — the row below is speed. | 91.6% | 87.7% |
| Internet download Measured median, Mbps. | 31.4 | 166.7 |
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Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is Czechia than China?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,470 in Czechia versus $981 in China — 50% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Czechia?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.86 in Czechia (≈ 84.46 CZK), versus about $2.68 in China.
- How much is rent in Czechia compared to China?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $999/month in Czechia versus $628/month in China (+59%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.