Cost of Living · SA vs CN
🇸🇦 Riyadh vs 🇨🇳 Shanghai: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,033 in Saudi Arabia vs $1,011 in China — 2.15% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in China
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -2.5%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -2.5%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -2.5%
Closest to Saudi Arabia prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: 0%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -0.66%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -0.72%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Saudi Arabia | China | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $667 | $650 (4,675 CNY) | -2.5% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $533 | $520 (3,740 CNY) | -2.5% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,219 | $1,189 (8,548 CNY) | -2.5% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.43 | $8.27 (59 CNY) | -1.9% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $35.14 | $34.45 (248 CNY) | -1.96% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $5.52 | $5.42 (39 CNY) | -1.81% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.63 | $0.62 (4 CNY) | -1.59% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.84 | $1.82 (13 CNY) | -1.09% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.96 | $1.93 (14 CNY) | -1.53% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.76 | $5.68 (41 CNY) | -1.39% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.30 | $2.27 (16 CNY) | -1.3% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.77 | $2.73 (20 CNY) | -1.44% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $6.91 | $6.81 (49 CNY) | -1.45% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.15 | $1.14 (8 CNY) | -0.87% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.81 | $2.76 (20 CNY) | -1.78% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.07 | $6.03 (43 CNY) | -0.66% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $2.34 | $2.30 (17 CNY) | -1.71% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.33 | $1.31 (9 CNY) | -1.5% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $32.63 | $32.05 (230 CNY) | -1.78% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.38 | $1.36 (10 CNY) | -1.45% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.87 | $1.84 (13 CNY) | -1.6% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.84 | $0.83 (6 CNY) | -1.19% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.72 | $0.72 (5 CNY) | 0% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $100 | $98.60 (709 CNY) | -1.79% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $35.14 | $34.51 (248 CNY) | -1.79% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $22.59 | $22.19 (160 CNY) | -1.77% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $23.43 | $22.97 (165 CNY) | -1.96% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $6.56 | $6.43 (46 CNY) | -1.98% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $14.06 | $13.78 (99 CNY) | -1.99% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $41.75 | $41.45 (298 CNY) | -0.72% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $68.32 | $67.82 (488 CNY) | -0.73% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $117 | $115 (826 CNY) | -1.97% |
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 cheaper is China than Saudi Arabia?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,011 in China versus $1,033 in Saudi Arabia — 2.15% less. 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 $2.81 in Saudi Arabia.
- How much is rent in China compared to Saudi Arabia?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $650/month in China versus $667/month in Saudi Arabia (-2.5%). 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.