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: $720 in China versus $373 in Eswatini.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $647 in Eswatini.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $921 in Eswatini.

Living in China is roughly 93% more expensive than in Eswatini on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Eswatini 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.61

$5.96 SZL 95.2

-50.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$32.93 SZL 526

-31.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.97

$6.14 SZL 98.1

-17.43%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.71

$2.20 SZL 35.08

33.64%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$1.04 SZL 16.54

-53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.55 SZL 8.74

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$1.89 SZL 30.24

-43.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.08

$2.02 SZL 32.20

11.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$1.23 SZL 19.64

45.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.36

$0.92 SZL 14.64

84.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.46

$1.71 SZL 27.25

-43.86%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.80

$1.66 SZL 26.44

-3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.2

$13.51 SZL 216

0.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.85

$7.05 SZL 113

-51.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$5.14 SZL 82.0

115.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.10

$2.34 SZL 37.41

-22.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$0.69 SZL 10.98

88.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$1.52 SZL 24.33

-2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.73

$1.35 SZL 21.57

-3.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$1.66 SZL 26.47

-56.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$1.60 SZL 25.59

-41.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$0.73 SZL 11.67

-16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.82 SZL 13.17

-31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.59

$3.05 SZL 48.69

20.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.8

$5.38 SZL 86.0

121.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$0.93 SZL 14.88

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$1.49 SZL 23.75

10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.73 SZL 11.60

-60.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥152

$25.05 SZL 400

-9.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$1.86 SZL 29.65

-22.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$1.59 SZL 25.45

-78.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.74

$3.37 SZL 53.7

115.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.27

$1.34 SZL 21.42

-8.21%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$14.8K SZL 236.0K

32.20%

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

$17.2K ¥115.6K

$17.2K SZL 274.5K

0.35%

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

$55.5 ¥372

$84.7 SZL 1,353

-34.54%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$36.15 SZL 577

-76.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$28.33 SZL 452

-61.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$22.19 SZL 354

80.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.2

$2.74 SZL 43.84

440.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.11

$3.86 SZL 61.7

74.35%

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

$454 ¥3,043

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$6,492 SZL 103.7K

200.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$36.30 SZL 580

23.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$20.16 SZL 322

77.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$73.5 SZL 1,173

4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$56.1 SZL 896

37.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,582

$197 SZL 3,139

96.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$136 SZL 2,178

77.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,606

$450 SZL 7,183

86.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,179

$348 SZL 5,562

36.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$349 SZL 5,568

1224.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$260 SZL 4,153

790.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,113

$636 SZL 10.2K

66.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

9.12

-61.95%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Eswatini: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $115 in Eswatini. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $287 in Mbabane.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $611 in Eswatini. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 157% higher in China.

Dining out costs 62% more in China.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 42% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Eswatini.

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 $852 per month in China and $395 in Eswatini, there's a 116% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Eswatini: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.