Cost of Living · ID vs CN
🇮🇩 Bali vs 🇨🇳 Shanghai: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $605 in Indonesia vs $1,011 in China — 67.03% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in China
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): 18.57%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 18.6%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 18.7%
Closest to Indonesia prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +81.55%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +81.55%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +81.55%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Indonesia | China | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $358 | $650 (4,675 CNY) | +81.55% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $287 | $520 (3,740 CNY) | +81.55% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $655 | $1,189 (8,548 CNY) | +81.55% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.18 | $8.27 (59 CNY) | +59.65% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $21.56 | $34.45 (248 CNY) | +59.79% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $3.54 | $5.42 (39 CNY) | +53.11% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.44 | $0.62 (4 CNY) | +40.91% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.29 | $1.82 (13 CNY) | +41.09% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.37 | $1.93 (14 CNY) | +40.88% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $4.04 | $5.68 (41 CNY) | +40.59% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $1.62 | $2.27 (16 CNY) | +40.12% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $1.94 | $2.73 (20 CNY) | +40.72% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $4.85 | $6.81 (49 CNY) | +40.41% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $0.81 | $1.14 (8 CNY) | +40.74% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $1.73 | $2.76 (20 CNY) | +59.54% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.08 | $6.03 (43 CNY) | +18.7% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $1.44 | $2.30 (17 CNY) | +59.72% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $0.93 | $1.31 (9 CNY) | +40.86% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $20.93 | $32.05 (230 CNY) | +53.13% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $0.89 | $1.36 (10 CNY) | +52.81% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.15 | $1.84 (13 CNY) | +60% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.52 | $0.83 (6 CNY) | +59.62% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.60 | $0.72 (5 CNY) | +20% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $64.40 | $98.60 (709 CNY) | +53.11% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $22.54 | $34.51 (248 CNY) | +53.11% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $14.49 | $22.19 (160 CNY) | +53.14% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $14.38 | $22.97 (165 CNY) | +59.74% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $4.03 | $6.43 (46 CNY) | +59.55% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $8.63 | $13.78 (99 CNY) | +59.68% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $34.95 | $41.45 (298 CNY) | +18.6% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $57.20 | $67.82 (488 CNY) | +18.57% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $71.88 | $115 (826 CNY) | +59.75% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is China than Indonesia?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,011 in China versus $605 in Indonesia — 67.03% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in China?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $2.76 in China (≈ 19.84 CNY), versus about $1.73 in Indonesia.
- How much is rent in China compared to Indonesia?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $650/month in China versus $358/month in Indonesia (+81.55%). 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.