Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burkina Faso and China

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $1,169 in Burkina Faso, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Burkina Faso
China
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
$1,169
/mo nomad
🇨🇳 China
$789
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burkina Faso and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Burkina Faso and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,169 per month in Burkina Faso vs $789 in China, rent included.

  • Burkina Faso $1,169
  • China $789

A couple spends around $1,922 per month in Burkina Faso vs $1,254 in China, rent included.

  • Burkina Faso $1,922
  • China $1,254

A family of three spends $2,674 per month in Burkina Faso vs $1,720 in China, rent included.

  • Burkina Faso $2,674
  • China $1,720

The regional cost range is wider in China ($468–$1,246) than in Burkina Faso ($1,169–$1,169), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Burkina Faso is about 48% higher than in China on average.

Both Burkina Faso and China are more affordable than the global median – Burkina Faso 14% lower, China 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Burkina Faso
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.36 F CFA 4,319
$3.04 ¥20.25
142.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.40 F CFA 14.9K
$22.12 ¥147
14.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.05 F CFA 4,137
$5.37 ¥35.75
31.28%
Cappuccino
$1.94 F CFA 1,139
$2.93 ¥19.53
-33.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 F CFA 642
$0.48 ¥3.21
127.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 F CFA 647
$0.30 ¥2.01
266.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.22 F CFA 719
$1.07 ¥7.15
14.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 F CFA 1,539
$2.21 ¥14.69
18.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Burkina Faso
China
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 F CFA 1,186
$1.80 ¥12.01
12.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 F CFA 645
$1.62 ¥10.76
-32.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.81 F CFA 477
$0.99 ¥6.58
-18.18%
Eggs
$2.53 F CFA 1,482
$1.62 ¥10.80
56.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.33 F CFA 10.2K
$13.44 ¥89.5
28.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$20.34 F CFA 11.9K
$3.46 ¥23.04
487.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.96 F CFA 8,775
$11.15 ¥74.2
34.17%
Apples (1kg)
$4.77 F CFA 2,795
$1.89 ¥12.60
152.38%
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.31 ¥8.72
-
Oranges (1kg)
$3.32 F CFA 1,947
$1.50 ¥9.97
121.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.88 F CFA 2,279
$1.34 ¥8.90
189.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 F CFA 930
$0.72 ¥4.77
119.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.76 F CFA 1,032
$0.93 ¥6.21
89.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 F CFA 760
$0.65 ¥4.35
100.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 F CFA 777
$0.60 ¥3.98
120.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.29 F CFA 755
$3.82 ¥25.43
-66.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.89 F CFA 3,457
$12.18 ¥81.1
-51.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 F CFA 853
$0.91 ¥6.04
59.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 F CFA 1,526
$1.65 ¥10.96
57.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Burkina Faso
China
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 F CFA 98.2
$0.29 ¥1.92
-41.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$18.07 ¥120
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 F CFA 288
$1.53 ¥10.22
-67.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.86 F CFA 506
$0.37 ¥2.46
132.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 F CFA 5,014
$6.69 ¥44.58
27.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 F CFA 839
$1.28 ¥8.50
11.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K F CFA 16.5M
$19.7K ¥131.5K
42.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K F CFA 18.6M
$17.5K ¥116.3K
81.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burkina Faso
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$177 F CFA 103.6K
$55.3 ¥368
219.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.28 F CFA 14.8K
$8.32 ¥55.4
203.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.0 F CFA 32.3K
$11.12 ¥74.1
394.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Burkina Faso
China
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.4 F CFA 35.4K
$39.65 ¥264
52.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.58 F CFA 5,036
$15.17 ¥101
-43.44%
Cinema Ticket
$6.73 F CFA 3,950
$6.65 ¥44.27
1.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Burkina Faso
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$33.52 F CFA 19.7K
$514 ¥3,425
-93.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,932 F CFA 3.5M
$34.9K ¥232.5K
-83.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Burkina Faso
China
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.52 F CFA 20.2K
$45.85 ¥305
-24.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.9 F CFA 30.4K
$35.41 ¥236
46.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.9 F CFA 49.2K
$76.0 ¥506
10.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 F CFA 59.9K
$80.0 ¥533
27.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Burkina Faso
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$334 F CFA 196.2K
$380 ¥2,528
-11.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$234 F CFA 137.1K
$232 ¥1,543
0.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,361 F CFA 798.3K
$836 ¥5,565
62.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$741 F CFA 434.8K
$462 ¥3,075
60.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$867 F CFA 508.5K
$4,743 ¥31.6K
-81.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$251 F CFA 147.3K
$2,383 ¥15.9K
-89.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Burkina Faso
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$591 F CFA 346.9K
$1,117 ¥7,437
-47.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12
3.45
247.83%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Burkina Faso: November 2, 2026

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Burkina Faso
$353 *
China
$212 40.1% $142
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burkina Faso
$257
China
$75 70.9% $182
Accommodation & Living
Burkina Faso
$234
China
$232 0.9% $2
Eating Out
Burkina Faso
$124
China
$89 28.3% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Burkina Faso
$123
China
$107 12.9% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Burkina Faso
$74
China
$53 28.3% $21
Getting Around
Burkina Faso
$5.5 *
China
$23 313% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $339 in Burkina Faso vs $298 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $339 in Ouagadougou and $942 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $587 in Burkina Faso vs $881 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in Burkina Faso.

Dining out costs 14% more in Burkina Faso.

Salaries are 50% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
🇨🇳 China
🕒 Local time
14:03 2:03 PM
22:03 10:03 PM
8 h ahead of Burkina Faso
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,025,776
1,442,965,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 659 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Burkina Faso China 11,380 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Burkina Faso
  • China

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Burkina Faso vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burkina Faso more expensive than China?
China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 33% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Burkina Faso: a central one-bedroom averages $339 versus $298 in China.
Should I move to Burkina Faso or to China?
China is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Burkina Faso vs other spots: cost of living compared

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