Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Burkina Faso

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.

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

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

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

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

  • China $789
  • Burkina Faso $1,169

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

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

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

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

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 China is roughly 33% lower than in Burkina Faso on average.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
China
Burkina Faso
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04 ¥20.25
$7.36 F CFA 4,319
-58.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.12 ¥147
$25.40 F CFA 14.9K
-12.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.37 ¥35.75
$7.05 F CFA 4,137
-23.83%
Cappuccino
$2.93 ¥19.53
$1.94 F CFA 1,139
51.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ¥3.21
$1.09 F CFA 642
-55.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ¥2.01
$1.10 F CFA 647
-72.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.07 ¥7.15
$1.22 F CFA 719
-12.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 ¥14.69
$2.62 F CFA 1,539
-15.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
China
Burkina Faso
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 ¥12.01
$2.02 F CFA 1,186
-10.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.62 ¥10.76
$1.10 F CFA 645
47.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 ¥6.58
$0.81 F CFA 477
22.22%
Eggs
$1.62 ¥10.80
$2.53 F CFA 1,482
-35.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.44 ¥89.5
$17.33 F CFA 10.2K
-22.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.46 ¥23.04
$20.34 F CFA 11.9K
-82.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.15 ¥74.2
$14.96 F CFA 8,775
-25.47%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 ¥12.60
$4.77 F CFA 2,795
-60.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 ¥8.72
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.50 ¥9.97
$3.32 F CFA 1,947
-54.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.34 ¥8.90
$3.88 F CFA 2,279
-65.46%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 ¥4.77
$1.58 F CFA 930
-54.43%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 ¥6.21
$1.76 F CFA 1,032
-47.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ¥4.35
$1.30 F CFA 760
-50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ¥3.98
$1.32 F CFA 777
-54.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 ¥25.43
$1.29 F CFA 755
196.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.18 ¥81.1
$5.89 F CFA 3,457
106.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 ¥6.04
$1.45 F CFA 853
-37.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 ¥10.96
$2.60 F CFA 1,526
-36.54%
🚌 Getting Around
China
Burkina Faso
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ¥1.92
$0.17 F CFA 98.2
70.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$18.07 ¥120
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 ¥10.22
$0.49 F CFA 288
212.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 ¥2.46
$0.86 F CFA 506
-56.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.69 ¥44.58
$8.55 F CFA 5,014
-21.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 ¥8.50
$1.43 F CFA 839
-10.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ¥131.5K
$28.1K F CFA 16.5M
-29.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.5K ¥116.3K
$31.7K F CFA 18.6M
-44.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
Burkina Faso
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$55.3 ¥368
$177 F CFA 103.6K
-68.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.32 ¥55.4
$25.28 F CFA 14.8K
-67.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.12 ¥74.1
$55.0 F CFA 32.3K
-79.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
China
Burkina Faso
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.65 ¥264
$60.4 F CFA 35.4K
-34.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.17 ¥101
$8.58 F CFA 5,036
76.81%
Cinema Ticket
$6.65 ¥44.27
$6.73 F CFA 3,950
-1.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
China
Burkina Faso
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$514 ¥3,425
$33.52 F CFA 19.7K
1434.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$34.9K ¥232.5K
$5,932 F CFA 3.5M
488.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
China
Burkina Faso
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.85 ¥305
$34.52 F CFA 20.2K
32.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.41 ¥236
$51.9 F CFA 30.4K
-31.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.0 ¥506
$83.9 F CFA 49.2K
-9.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.0 ¥533
$102 F CFA 59.9K
-21.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
China
Burkina Faso
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$380 ¥2,528
$334 F CFA 196.2K
13.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$232 ¥1,543
$234 F CFA 137.1K
-0.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$836 ¥5,565
$1,361 F CFA 798.3K
-38.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ¥3,075
$741 F CFA 434.8K
-37.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,743 ¥31.6K
$867 F CFA 508.5K
447.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,383 ¥15.9K
$251 F CFA 147.3K
849.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
China
Burkina Faso
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,117 ¥7,437
$591 F CFA 346.9K
88.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.45
12
-71.25%

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

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Last update for Burkina Faso: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
China
$232
Burkina Faso
$234 0.9% $2
Groceries & Markets
China
$212
Burkina Faso
$353 * 66.9% $142
Clothing & Footwear
China
$107
Burkina Faso
$123 14.8% $16
Eating Out
China
$89
Burkina Faso
$124 39.5% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
China
$75
Burkina Faso
$257 244% $182
Sport & Entertainment
China
$53
Burkina Faso
$74 39.5% $21
Getting Around
China
$23
Burkina Faso
$5.5 * 75.8% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $881 in China vs $587 in Burkina Faso. 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
🇨🇳 China
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
🕒 Local time
07:24 7:24 AM
23:24 11:24 PM
8 h behind China
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,442,965,000
23,025,776
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

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

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
China vs Burkina Faso: 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.

China vs other spots: cost of living compared

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