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 $489 in Zimbabwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $817 in Zimbabwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $1,145 in Zimbabwe.

Living in China is roughly 46% more expensive than Zimbabwe on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Zimbabwe 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥19.00

$7.15 ZWL 192

-60.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$50.0 ZWL 1,345

-53.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.91

$6.18 ZWL 166

-18.93%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.41

$2.78 ZWL 74.8

8.27%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.72 ZWL 19.48

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.45 ZWL 12.13

-35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$1.53 ZWL 41.02

-37.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.89

$2.05 ZWL 55.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.89

$1.55 ZWL 41.56

13.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.99

$0.97 ZWL 26.14

67.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.46

$1.81 ZWL 48.78

-47.51%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.56

$2.16 ZWL 58.1

-27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.4

$10.37 ZWL 279

25.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.19

$5.77 ZWL 155

-43.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.1

$5.86 ZWL 157

81.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.04

$2.62 ZWL 70.5

-32.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.43

$1.80 ZWL 48.39

-31.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.13

$2.13 ZWL 57.3

-29.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.80

$1.59 ZWL 42.78

-27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.08

$1.59 ZWL 42.83

-52.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.82

$1.84 ZWL 49.39

-53.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.04 ZWL 28.07

-40.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$1.07 ZWL 28.81

-47.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.79

$1.36 ZWL 36.67

158.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$6.86 ZWL 185

69.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.17 ZWL 31.50

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.26

$1.79 ZWL 48.04

-7.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.99 ZWL 26.58

-56.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$29.96 ZWL 806

-30.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.27

$4.92 ZWL 132

-72.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$2.06 ZWL 55.3

-83.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.87

$5.14 ZWL 138

28.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$1.62 ZWL 43.57

-29.63%

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

$19.2K ¥129.8K

$23.7K ZWL 638.3K

-19.20%

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

$16.8K ¥113.5K

$24.3K ZWL 653.1K

-30.98%

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

$51.2 ¥346

$53.9 ZWL 1,450

-5.10%

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

$10.16 ¥68.8

$17.47 ZWL 470

-41.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$89.7 ZWL 2,411

-87.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$47.55 ZWL 1,279

-14.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$10.72 ZWL 288

40.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.30

$9.99 ZWL 269

-38.94%

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

$402 ¥2,722

$222 ZWL 5,975

80.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.6K

$8,138 ZWL 218.8K

117.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$18.67 ZWL 502

144.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$19.11 ZWL 514

74.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$36.68 ZWL 986

97.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥504

$42.38 ZWL 1,139

75.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,906

$336 ZWL 9,033

27.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,741

$224 ZWL 6,026

14.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,061

$818 ZWL 22.0K

9.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,664

$535 ZWL 14.4K

1.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$857 ZWL 23.1K

484.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$383 ZWL 10.3K

545.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,139

$344 ZWL 9,247

206.71%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $105 in Zimbabwe. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $403 in Harare.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $356 in Zimbabwe. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 172% higher in China.

Dining out costs 52% more in Zimbabwe.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 142% higher in China, giving China 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 Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $496 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.

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