Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eswatini and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in Eswatini: $730 a month against $800 in China, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in China outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Eswatini
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Eswatini Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$730

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eswatini and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Eswatini and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in Eswatini versus $800 in China.

Eswatini $730
China $800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Eswatini versus $1,266 in China.

Eswatini $1,247
China $1,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,763 in Eswatini versus $1,731 in China.

Eswatini $1,763
China $1,731

Living in Eswatini costs about 9% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Eswatini 46% lower, China 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.69 SZL 93.6

$2.92 ¥19.50

94.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.19 SZL 530

$22.45 ¥150

43.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 SZL 96.7

$5.33 ¥35.65

10.32%

Cappuccino

$2.03 SZL 33.38

$3.04 ¥20.34

-33.22%

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

$0.96 SZL 15.82

$0.48 ¥3.23

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 SZL 8.32

$0.30 ¥2.02

70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SZL 30.63

$1.07 ¥7.12

73.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SZL 32.19

$2.26 ¥15.11

-13.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 SZL 20.73

$1.75 ¥11.70

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SZL 16.05

$1.62 ¥10.80

-40.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SZL 27.18

$0.99 ¥6.63

66.67%

Eggs

$1.62 SZL 26.63

$1.56 ¥10.44

3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 SZL 223

$13.25 ¥88.6

2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 SZL 110

$3.37 ¥22.50

97.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 SZL 82.0

$11.39 ¥76.2

-56.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 SZL 39.04

$1.82 ¥12.19

30.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 SZL 10.98

$1.25 ¥8.34

-46.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 SZL 24.52

$1.55 ¥10.39

-3.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 SZL 22.67

$1.28 ¥8.55

7.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SZL 25.30

$0.71 ¥4.72

116.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 SZL 25.88

$0.86 ¥5.75

82.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 SZL 11.88

$0.65 ¥4.36

10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 SZL 13.55

$0.59 ¥3.97

38.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 SZL 49.00

$3.76 ¥25.14

-20.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.30 SZL 87.3

$11.76 ¥78.6

-54.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 SZL 14.56

$0.91 ¥6.11

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 SZL 22.69

$1.62 ¥10.86

-14.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 SZL 12.39

$0.31 ¥2.10

141.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.40 SZL 402

$22.75 ¥152

7.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 SZL 30.61

$1.52 ¥10.17

22.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SZL 25.56

$0.37 ¥2.50

318.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 SZL 56.7

$7.28 ¥48.66

-52.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 SZL 20.69

$1.25 ¥8.38

0.80%

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

$14.4K SZL 237.8K

$19.4K ¥129.7K

-25.51%

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

$16.8K SZL 276.7K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

-1.77%

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

$82.8 SZL 1,363

$55.5 ¥371

49.23%

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

$34.56 SZL 569

$8.29 ¥55.4

316.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.58 SZL 454

$10.97 ¥73.3

151.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.11 SZL 347

$40.38 ¥270

-47.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.80 SZL 46.15

$14.76 ¥98.7

-81.03%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 SZL 61.6

$6.76 ¥45.18

-44.67%

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

$465 ¥3,108

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,360 SZL 104.7K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-67.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.82 SZL 573

$46.32 ¥310

-24.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.45 SZL 320

$36.30 ¥243

-46.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 SZL 1,176

$76.3 ¥510

-6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 SZL 904

$78.8 ¥527

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 SZL 3,371

$396 ¥2,646

-48.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 SZL 2,311

$240 ¥1,604

-41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 SZL 9,949

$822 ¥5,499

-26.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 SZL 7,425

$466 ¥3,116

-3.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$343 SZL 5,642

$4,544 ¥30.4K

-92.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$257 SZL 4,237

$2,282 ¥15.3K

-88.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 SZL 11.4K

$1,075 ¥7,188

-35.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

3.46

163.58%

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

Last update for Eswatini: October 19, 2026

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Eswatini

$191 26.2%

China

$209 26.1% 9.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Eswatini

$145 19.9%

China

$75 9.3% 48.4% $70

Accommodation & Living

Eswatini

$140 19.2%

China

$240 30% 70.9% $99

Eating Out

Eswatini

$107 14.6%

China

$89 11.1% 16.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Eswatini

$81 11.1%

China

$107 13.4% 31.6% $26

Getting Around

Eswatini

$37 5.1%

China

$27 3.4% 26% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Eswatini

$29 3.9%

China

$54 6.7% 88.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $113 in Eswatini, $299 in China. Capital cities: $273 in Mbabane vs $945 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $638 in Eswatini, $870 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 165% higher in China.

Dining out costs 75% more in China.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 36% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Eswatini

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

04:09 4:09 AM

6 h ahead of Eswatini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,230,506

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 SZL (100 SZL = 5.4 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to SZL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Eswatini China 11,470 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Eswatini
China

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

Eswatini vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $730 in Eswatini, there's a 10% 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 Eswatini: 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 $113 in Eswatini. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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.