Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Tanzania

Name: Tanzania
Address: TZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanzania: $621 a month against $800 in China, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Tanzania
Learn more

Tanzania Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Tanzania

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 Tanzania actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $621 in Tanzania.

China $800
Tanzania $621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $950 in Tanzania.

China $1,266
Tanzania $950

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $1,278 in Tanzania.

China $1,731
Tanzania $1,278

Living in China is roughly 29% more expensive than in Tanzania on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 41% lower, Tanzania 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$2.19 TZS 5,746

33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$18.73 TZS 49.0K

19.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$7.36 TZS 19.3K

-27.58%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$1.90 TZS 4,979

60.00%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$0.35 TZS 925

37.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.25 TZS 658

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$1.02 TZS 2,659

4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$1.86 TZS 4,867

21.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$0.90 TZS 2,351

94.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$0.66 TZS 1,728

145.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$1.00 TZS 2,630

-1.00%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$2.02 TZS 5,301

-22.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$8.35 TZS 21.9K

58.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$4.30 TZS 11.3K

-21.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$4.01 TZS 10.5K

184.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$2.27 TZS 5,947

-19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.04 TZS 2,720

20.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.01 TZS 2,643

53.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$0.88 TZS 2,318

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$0.91 TZS 2,394

-21.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$1.14 TZS 2,992

-24.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$0.71 TZS 1,872

-8.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.41 TZS 1,063

43.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$1.86 TZS 4,862

102.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$5.78 TZS 15.1K

103.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.03 TZS 2,705

-11.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$1.41 TZS 3,688

14.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.24 TZS 629

29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$14.81 TZS 38.8K

53.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.73 TZS 4,538

-12.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$1.53 TZS 4,003

-75.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$13.34 TZS 34.9K

-45.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.35 TZS 3,543

-7.41%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$16.7K TZS 43.8M

16.05%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$24.7K TZS 64.7M

-30.68%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$54.1 TZS 141.8K

2.53%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$10.12 TZS 26.5K

-18.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$38.32 TZS 100.4K

-71.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$63.5 TZS 166.2K

-36.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$7.18 TZS 18.8K

105.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$5.57 TZS 14.6K

21.36%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$546 TZS 1.4M

-14.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$10.9K TZS 28.5M

80.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$14.23 TZS 37.3K

225.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$21.20 TZS 55.5K

71.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$31.70 TZS 83.0K

140.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$41.38 TZS 108.4K

90.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$418 TZS 1.1M

-5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$152 TZS 397.2K

58.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$712 TZS 1.9M

15.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$280 TZS 734.0K

66.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$1,564 TZS 4.1M

190.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$1,064 TZS 2.8M

114.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$240 TZS 628.6K

347.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

14.5

-76.14%

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tanzania: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30%

Tanzania

$152 24.4% 36.8% $88

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Tanzania

$145 23.3% 30.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Tanzania

$49 7.9% 54.3% $58

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Tanzania

$74 11.9% 17.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Tanzania

$103 16.5% 37.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Tanzania

$75 12% 38.4% $21

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Tanzania

$25 4.1% 8.2% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $870 in China, $231 in Tanzania. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 278% higher in China.

Dining out costs 133% more in China.

Public transport is 467% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 277% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇹🇿 Tanzania

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

17:17 5:17 PM

5 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

57,310,019

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Tanzania 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Tanzania

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 Tanzania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $621 in Tanzania, there's a 29% 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 cheaper in Tanzania: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $299 in China and $79.0 in Tanzania. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Tanzania, $800 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: Tanzania wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.