Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Zimbabwe Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Zimbabwe

Name: Zimbabwe
Address: ZW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $491 in Zimbabwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $821 in Zimbabwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $1,151 in Zimbabwe.

Living in China is roughly 45% more expensive than in Zimbabwe on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Zimbabwe 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.35

$7.10 ZWL 190

-59.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥159

$50.9 ZWL 1,359

-53.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.75

$6.06 ZWL 162

-20.13%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.06

$2.69 ZWL 71.7

15.61%

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

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.73 ZWL 19.36

-39.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.49 ZWL 12.99

-40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.64

$1.47 ZWL 39.29

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

4.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.47

$1.57 ZWL 42.02

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$1.03 ZWL 27.38

57.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.28

$1.83 ZWL 48.77

-49.18%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.03

$2.05 ZWL 54.8

-20.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥89.0

$10.19 ZWL 272

29.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.09

$5.51 ZWL 147

-40.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.9

$5.84 ZWL 156

81.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.19

$2.65 ZWL 70.6

-32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.77

$1.72 ZWL 45.84

-24.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.90

$2.07 ZWL 55.1

-29.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.15

$1.61 ZWL 42.97

-25.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.14

$1.56 ZWL 41.64

-51.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$1.80 ZWL 48.15

-51.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$1.09 ZWL 29.02

-47.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$1.08 ZWL 28.74

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.17

$1.38 ZWL 36.83

147.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.5

$6.84 ZWL 182

71.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.15 ZWL 30.56

-30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.95

$1.79 ZWL 47.65

-9.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$1.01 ZWL 27.00

-57.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥139

$29.60 ZWL 790

-30.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.24

$5.14 ZWL 137

-73.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$2.02 ZWL 53.8

-82.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.97

$5.13 ZWL 137

26.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$1.62 ZWL 43.12

-30.86%

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

$19.5K ¥131.8K

$23.1K ZWL 616.7K

-15.77%

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

$16.9K ¥114.1K

$24.4K ZWL 650.7K

-30.87%

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

$51.7 ¥350

$53.8 ZWL 1,435

-3.90%

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

$10.17 ¥68.8

$17.22 ZWL 459

-40.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$90.0 ZWL 2,401

-87.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$47.26 ZWL 1,261

-16.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.3

$11.08 ZWL 295

31.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.19

$10.13 ZWL 270

-37.02%

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

$407 ¥2,756

$225 ZWL 5,995

81.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

$8,093 ZWL 215.9K

120.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$19.09 ZWL 509

138.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥219

$19.59 ZWL 523

64.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$37.25 ZWL 994

94.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥504

$41.76 ZWL 1,114

78.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,996

$332 ZWL 8,862

33.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,747

$229 ZWL 6,115

12.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,162

$810 ZWL 21.6K

12.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,677

$546 ZWL 14.6K

-0.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.4K

$936 ZWL 25.0K

427.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$395 ZWL 10.5K

507.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,205

$341 ZWL 9,090

212.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

13.5

-69.93%

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

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $105 in Zimbabwe. Capital cities: $894 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $398 in Harare.

National salary averages: $855 in China, $355 in Zimbabwe. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 173% higher in China.

Dining out costs 52% more in Zimbabwe.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 141% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $495 in Zimbabwe, there's a 74% 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 Zimbabwe: 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 Zimbabwe across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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