Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Eswatini Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Eswatini

Name: Eswatini
Address: SZ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $242 in Eswatini.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $382 in Eswatini.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $522 in Eswatini.

Living in China is roughly 194% more expensive than Eswatini on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Eswatini 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥18.99

$1.73 SZL 28.57

62.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$27.50 SZL 455

-15.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.89

$2.33 SZL 38.59

115.02%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.40

$1.65 SZL 27.34

82.42%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.79 SZL 13.11

-43.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.48 SZL 7.86

-39.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$1.52 SZL 25.13

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

$1.69 SZL 27.99

21.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.88

$1.01 SZL 16.74

74.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.99

$0.73 SZL 12.12

121.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$1.27 SZL 21.07

-25.20%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.56

$1.47 SZL 24.38

6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$8.76 SZL 145

49.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.18

$3.86 SZL 63.8

-15.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.0

$4.48 SZL 74.0

137.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.04

$1.32 SZL 21.86

34.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.42

$0.74 SZL 12.23

67.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.12

$1.08 SZL 17.86

38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$1.34 SZL 22.22

-14.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.08

$0.96 SZL 15.83

-21.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$1.03 SZL 17.01

-16.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.56 SZL 9.29

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.74 SZL 12.31

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.78

$2.62 SZL 43.33

33.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$5.09 SZL 84.1

129.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.04 SZL 17.17

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.25

$1.43 SZL 23.65

16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.94 SZL 15.53

-54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$29.28 SZL 484

-28.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.27

$3.30 SZL 54.5

-58.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$2.69 SZL 44.55

-86.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.85

$3.37 SZL 55.8

96.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$1.22 SZL 20.14

-6.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.2K ¥129.8K

$16.8K SZL 277.6K

14.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$16.8K ¥113.4K

$19.1K SZL 316.5K

-12.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$51.2 ¥346

$74.3 SZL 1,228

-31.08%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.16 ¥68.7

$26.96 SZL 446

-62.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$27.59 SZL 456

-58.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$27.60 SZL 456

46.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$5.12 SZL 84.7

193.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.28

$3.32 SZL 54.9

83.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$402 ¥2,721

$108 SZL 1,791

271.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.6K

$4,512 SZL 74.6K

291.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$41.64 SZL 689

9.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$25.80 SZL 427

28.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$62.3 SZL 1,031

16.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥504

$75.2 SZL 1,244

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,905

$239 SZL 3,947

79.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,740

$142 SZL 2,346

81.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,059

$432 SZL 7,150

107.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,663

$329 SZL 5,438

64.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$345 SZL 5,712

1352.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$255 SZL 4,218

867.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,136

$509 SZL 8,413

107.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

9.12

-55.48%

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

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Last update for Eswatini: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $83.0 in Eswatini. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $264 in Mbabane.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $635 in Eswatini. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 245% higher in China.

Dining out costs 110% more in China.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 36% higher in China, giving Eswatini stronger purchasing power.

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 Eswatini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $368 in Eswatini, there's a 135% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Eswatini is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China beats Eswatini across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Eswatini, $1,200 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Eswatini wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.