Chinese Daily Life 人间烟火气，最抚凡人心

Cost of Living in Chengdu: Real Prices From 23 Videos

Chengdu is often called China's most livable city. Here is what it costs. It draws on 11 videos and 65 individual figures, covering Chengdu, Sichuan.

At a glance

monthly rent including utilities $40 Chengdu
separate apartment rent $120 Chengdu
sugar-heart apples per 500 grams 1.5 yuan Sichuan
restaurant meal 1.5 CNY Chengdu

Food & drink

Item Amount Place Source video
sugar-heart apples per 500 grams 1.5 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
restaurant meal 1.5 CNY Chengdu Renting in a Chengdu Slum for $40 a Month: A Single Woman…
wonton wrappers for 40 pieces 2 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
watermelon juice 3 kuài qián Chengdu Chengdu City Walk: Food, Shopping and Local Life
extra small pork intestine 3 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
skewer at Bo Bo Ji ¥3 per stick Chengdu Chengdu Travel: Sichuan Food, Pandas and Top Attractions
braised pig head meat 6 SGD Chengdu Chengdu Night Market Food Tour: Fu Qin Ye Shi Street Eats
watermelon 6.6 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
duck hot pot $7.25 Chengdu Xi'an Street Food Tour: Bao, Biang Biang Noodles, and More
green Sichuan peppercorns 7.4 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
bunch of grapes 7.8 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
glutinous rice portion 8 yuan Chengdu Chengdu Night Market Food Tour: Fu Qin Ye Shi Street Eats
small portion of fermented tofu 10 kuài qián Chengdu Chengdu City Walk: Food, Shopping and Local Life
tangyouguozi (glutinous rice balls) RMB10 Chengdu A Day in Chengdu: Street Food and Tea House Life
raw chestnuts per kilogram 10 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
pomelos for 3 10 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
beef patty RMB10 Chengdu A Day in Chengdu: Street Food and Tea House Life
small bowl of pork intestine noodles 14 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
bowl-bowl chicken meal RMB14.5 Chengdu A Day in Chengdu: Street Food and Tea House Life
peeled chestnuts per kilogram 15 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
peanut malt candy per 500 grams 15 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
rice puff candy per 500 grams 15 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
scallions ginger and garlic 15 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
big bag of vegetables 15.5 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
blueberries 15.6 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
dumplings for 30 pieces 17 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
roasted duck half 17 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
fresh pork knuckles per 500 grams 18 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
cherries 26.8 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
lamb per 500 grams 28 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
beef per 500 grams 33 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
braised duck 33.5 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
salami sandwich 55 yuan Chengdu Living in Chengdu: A Real Day in Summer 2025 | Aleese Lig…

Rent & housing

Item Amount Place Source video
monthly rent including utilities $40 Chengdu Renting in a Chengdu Slum for $40 a Month: A Single Woman…
hotel room per night S$77 (US$57) a night Chengdu Chengdu Travel: Sichuan Food, Pandas and Top Attractions
separate apartment rent $120 Chengdu Renting in a Chengdu Slum for $40 a Month: A Single Woman…

Transport

Item Amount Place Source video
shuttle to panda base ¥10 one way Chengdu Chengdu Travel: Sichuan Food, Pandas and Top Attractions
internal shuttle at panda base ¥30 for whole day Chengdu Chengdu Travel: Sichuan Food, Pandas and Top Attractions

Everyday goods

Item Amount Place Source video
brown sugar 3.2 RMB Chengdu Chengdu Wet Market Tour: Food Prices and Handmade Wontons
plant watering tool 4 yuan, less than $1 US Chengdu Living in Chengdu: A Real Day in Summer 2025 | Aleese Lig…
bouquet of flowers 20 yuan Chengdu Living in Chengdu: A Real Day in Summer 2025 | Aleese Lig…
jackfruit 22.90 yuan Chengdu Living in Chengdu: A Real Day in Summer 2025 | Aleese Lig…
shoes per pair 25 yuan Sichuan Sichuan Rural Market: Traditional Snacks and Daily Life
facial cleanser 29.9 Chengdu Chengdu City Walk: Food, Shopping and Local Life
facial cleanser and shampoo total 69 kuài 8 máo qián Chengdu Chengdu City Walk: Food, Shopping and Local Life
camera 3,000 Chengdu A Trilingual Family Reunion in Chengdu, China
15L bucket of water about a week Chengdu Renting in a Chengdu Slum for $40 a Month: A Single Woman…

Other costs

Item Amount Place Source video
duration of a typical hot pot session at least 1 hour Chengdu Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
duration of hot pot session with beer 2 to 3 hour or more Chengdu Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
duration of numbing effect from Sichuan peppercorn maybe 12 minutes Sichuan Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
number of hot pot base recipes more than 20 recipes Chengdu Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
bike ride distance 25 km Chengdu A Trilingual Family Reunion in Chengdu, China
dress hemming 30 yuan Chengdu Living in Chengdu: A Real Day in Summer 2025 | Aleese Lig…
proportion of Chien chili in hot pot base 30% of Chien chili and 70% other cheaper chilies Sichuan Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
hair wash 40 RMB Chengdu A Day in Chengdu: Street Food and Tea House Life
number of spice ingredients in hot pot base 40 kinds of spices Chengdu Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
entrance fee to Du Fu Thatched Cottage ¥50 Chengdu Chengdu Travel: Sichuan Food, Pandas and Top Attractions
monthly savings from cheaper rent 80 Chengdu Renting in a Chengdu Slum for $40 a Month: A Single Woman…
hot pot base production per day 80 times per day Chengdu Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
green belt length 100 km Chengdu A Trilingual Family Reunion in Chengdu, China
hotpot coupon 100 de quàn Chengdu Chengdu City Walk: Food, Shopping and Local Life
weight of hot pot base block at restaurant at least 6 to 700 lb Chengdu Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
annual savings from cheaper rent 960 Chengdu Renting in a Chengdu Slum for $40 a Month: A Single Woman…
maximum capacity of hot pot base cooking vessel 12200 lb Chengdu Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
Scoville score of Chien chili up to 100,000 Sichuan Inside a Sichuan Hot Pot Factory in Chengdu
city population over 20 million Chengdu A Trilingual Family Reunion in Chengdu, China

What stands out

The cheapest food recorded is sugar-heart apples per 500 grams (1.5 yuan), and the most expensive is salami sandwich at 55 yuan.

Data sources

Every figure on this page was stated in one of the following videos. Follow a link to hear it in context.