Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuzhou and Midrand Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuzhou and Midrand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in Fuzhou versus $1,080 in Midrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,278 in Fuzhou versus $1,616 in Midrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,766 in Fuzhou versus $2,152 in Midrand.

Living in Fuzhou costs roughly 27% less than in Midrand, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fuzhou 41% lower, Midrand 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.78 ¥18.79

$5.47 R 88.9

-49.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.62 ¥153

$28.11 R 457

-19.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥36.29

$4.81 R 78.2

11.64%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ¥19.31

$1.36 R 22.13

110.29%

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

$0.40 ¥2.74

$1.04 R 16.89

-61.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.69

$0.75 R 12.23

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 ¥5.61

$2.19 R 35.55

-62.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.57

$2.27 R 36.96

-24.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.70

$1.04 R 16.96

80.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ¥8.57

$1.02 R 16.60

24.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.42

$1.24 R 20.15

-35.48%

Eggs

$1.33 ¥8.99

$2.51 R 40.86

-47.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 ¥78.5

$8.49 R 138

36.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 ¥33.59

$4.84 R 78.7

2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 ¥88.1

$6.70 R 109

94.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 ¥14.96

$1.69 R 27.45

30.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 ¥8.94

$1.03 R 16.72

28.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.32

$1.54 R 25.10

18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.31

$1.41 R 22.95

-12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.54

$1.50 R 24.30

-55.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.13

$1.43 R 23.25

-26.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$1.04 R 16.95

-43.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.95 R 15.37

-49.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.75 ¥18.59

$3.00 R 48.81

-8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 ¥75.8

$5.52 R 89.6

102.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.08

$0.88 R 14.30

-14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.74

$1.09 R 17.70

-8.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.86 R 13.96

-68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.41 ¥280

$51.8 R 841

-20.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.27

$1.14 R 18.57

20.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.92

$0.53 R 8.54

-47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.83 ¥46.20

$4.01 R 65.1

70.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$1.27 R 20.69

-10.24%

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

$21.1K ¥143.0K

$22.1K R 358.7K

-4.20%

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

$17.4K ¥117.6K

$23.5K R 381.9K

-26.01%

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

$38.75 ¥262

$100 R 1,628

-61.32%

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

$9.73 ¥65.8

$22.32 R 363

-56.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.45 ¥50.4

$42.63 R 693

-82.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 ¥305

$56.2 R 914

-19.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 ¥95.5

$4.56 R 74.1

209.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 ¥45.97

$7.48 R 121

-9.09%

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

$227 ¥1,533

$168 R 2,737

34.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,287 ¥62.8K

$5,009 R 81.4K

85.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥370

$51.1 R 831

7.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.46 ¥186

$33.89 R 551

-18.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 ¥542

$78.7 R 1,279

1.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 ¥603

$77.3 R 1,256

15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 ¥2,391

$441 R 7,159

-19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 ¥1,515

$427 R 6,938

-47.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ¥5,577

$768 R 12.5K

7.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 ¥2,814

$735 R 11.9K

-43.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,592 ¥31.1K

$903 R 14.7K

408.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,335 ¥15.8K

$704 R 11.4K

231.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$972 ¥6,573

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.56

11.51

-69.07%

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

Last update for Fuzhou: May 31, 2026

Last update for Midrand: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Fuzhou and $441 in Midrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Fuzhou vs $28.00 in Midrand. Groceries flip the comparison at $211 vs $174, with Midrand cheaper for home cooking.

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

Fuzhou vs Midrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Midrand. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fuzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,186 in Fuzhou and $1,619 in Midrand to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $354 in Fuzhou versus $441 in Midrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Fuzhou – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $28.00 in Midrand. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $791 per month in Fuzhou versus $1,080 in Midrand – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $791 in Fuzhou versus $1,080 in Midrand, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fuzhou but tight or insufficient in Midrand. The gap between the two cities makes Fuzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Fuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Midrand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.