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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $246 in Eswatini versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $386 in Eswatini versus $1,134 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $525 in Eswatini versus $1,555 in China.

Living in Eswatini costs about 65% less than in China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 SZL 28.76

$2.82 ¥19.11

-39.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.70 SZL 465

$23.43 ¥159

18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.33 SZL 39.20

$4.82 ¥32.65

-51.66%

Cappuccino

$1.68 SZL 28.15

$2.98 ¥20.17

-43.62%

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

$0.81 SZL 13.66

$0.48 ¥3.22

68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 SZL 8.64

$0.27 ¥1.81

88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 SZL 25.42

$1.01 ¥6.85

49.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 SZL 28.85

$2.06 ¥13.97

-16.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 SZL 17.69

$1.82 ¥12.31

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 SZL 13.30

$1.63 ¥11.04

-51.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 SZL 21.40

$0.96 ¥6.48

32.29%

Eggs

$1.49 SZL 25.03

$1.55 ¥10.47

-3.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 SZL 150

$13.05 ¥88.3

-31.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 SZL 65.1

$3.24 ¥21.93

19.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.63 SZL 77.8

$10.83 ¥73.3

-57.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 SZL 22.95

$1.75 ¥11.83

-21.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 SZL 12.44

$1.28 ¥8.66

-42.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 SZL 19.08

$1.44 ¥9.76

-20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 SZL 23.75

$1.18 ¥8.02

19.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 SZL 16.16

$0.70 ¥4.77

37.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 SZL 17.27

$0.88 ¥5.95

17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 SZL 9.52

$0.58 ¥3.91

-1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 SZL 13.28

$0.53 ¥3.61

49.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 SZL 45.65

$3.46 ¥23.44

-21.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.10 SZL 85.6

$11.91 ¥80.6

-57.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 SZL 17.19

$0.78 ¥5.26

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 SZL 24.05

$1.62 ¥10.94

-11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 SZL 14.91

$0.44 ¥2.96

102.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.91 SZL 503

$20.65 ¥140

44.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 SZL 55.1

$1.35 ¥9.16

142.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 SZL 46.53

$0.33 ¥2.20

739.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 SZL 55.4

$6.49 ¥43.92

-49.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 SZL 20.56

$1.13 ¥7.63

7.96%

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

$16.7K SZL 281.4K

$19.4K ¥131.6K

-13.90%

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

$18.6K SZL 312.0K

$16.5K ¥112.0K

12.20%

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

$73.9 SZL 1,241

$51.3 ¥347

43.91%

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

$27.54 SZL 463

$10.19 ¥68.9

170.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.82 SZL 467

$11.11 ¥75.2

150.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.02 SZL 471

$39.99 ¥271

-29.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.03 SZL 84.5

$14.55 ¥98.4

-65.43%

Cinema Ticket

$3.41 SZL 57.3

$6.18 ¥41.85

-44.82%

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

$108 SZL 1,814

$416 ¥2,816

-74.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,511 SZL 75.8K

$17.2K ¥116.6K

-73.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.29 SZL 694

$45.94 ¥311

-10.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.06 SZL 438

$32.70 ¥221

-20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 SZL 1,065

$72.2 ¥489

-12.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 SZL 1,254

$74.8 ¥506

-0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 SZL 4,051

$444 ¥3,004

-45.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 SZL 2,427

$253 ¥1,714

-42.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SZL 7,339

$931 ¥6,299

-53.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 SZL 5,365

$546 ¥3,694

-41.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$342 SZL 5,750

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-92.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$251 SZL 4,214

$2,418 ¥16.4K

-89.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 SZL 8,419

$1,069 ¥7,233

-53.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

4.06

124.63%

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

Last update for Eswatini: July 21, 2026

Last update for China: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $83.0 in Eswatini, $287 in China. Capital cities: $264 in Mbabane vs $896 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $622 in Eswatini, $856 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 246% higher in China.

Dining out costs 110% more in China.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 38% 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

Eswatini vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $375 in Eswatini, there's a 133% 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.