App Store subscription pricing in China
Goods and services in China cost about 47% of what they cost in the United States (World Bank price-level index, 2025). A $4.99 US subscription scaled to that price level is about $2.36, which rounds to Apple’s $2.39 price point before Apple converts it to CNY.
Price-level-adjusted prices for China
| US price | × 0.47 | Nearest US price point |
|---|---|---|
| $2.99 monthly | $1.41 | $1.39 |
| $4.99 monthly | $2.36 | $2.39 |
| $9.99 monthly | $4.72 | $4.69 |
| $49.99 yearly | $23.62 | $23.49 |
The last column is the US-dollar price point whose CNY equivalent you would schedule for China. Apple sets that equivalent from exchange rates and local taxes. AppPriceKit reads the exact CNY price from App Store Connect when you connect your app, and the sample shows the full flow without an account.
Should you charge less in China?
With Apple’s default equalization, a $4.99 subscription costs roughly the same in CNY at market exchange rates. Measured against local prices, that is about 2.1× as expensive for someone in China as $4.99 is for someone in the US. A lower local price often converts better, but the index measures prices, not incomes in your niche, so treat it as a starting point and watch your conversion and refund rates after the change.
Countries with a similar price level
- Chile 48% of US prices
- Saudi Arabia 47% of US prices
- Argentina 46% of US prices
- Brazil 46% of US prices
Source: World Bank, Price level ratio of PPP conversion factor (GDP) to market exchange rate (CHN, 2025). Method: how AppPriceKit calculates a price.
See China next to 17 other countries.
Sample data, nothing is sent to Apple.