For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,111 in Mozambique, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mozambique and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,111 in Mozambique versus $791 in China.
Mozambique $1,111
China $791
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,625 in Mozambique versus $1,251 in China.
Mozambique $1,625
China $1,251
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,138 in Mozambique versus $1,711 in China.
Mozambique $2,138
China $1,711
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Mozambique: monthly costs span $27 to $1,127, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Mozambique.
🌍
Living in Mozambique is roughly 40% more expensive than in China on average.
📊
Both countries sit below the global median: Mozambique 18% lower, China 42% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Mozambique
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.28MZN 650
$2.98¥19.81
244.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.15MZN 2,919
$22.09¥147
108.92%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.33MZN 464
$5.20¥34.60
40.96%
Cappuccino
$2.18MZN 138
$2.97¥19.74
-26.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93MZN 58.6
$0.48¥3.19
93.75%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62MZN 39.12
$0.30¥2.01
106.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.54MZN 97.5
$1.08¥7.18
42.59%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41MZN 153
$2.28¥15.15
5.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mozambique
China
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.59MZN 101
$1.80¥11.96
-11.67%
White Bread(500g)
$0.85MZN 53.7
$1.68¥11.15
-49.40%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.48MZN 93.4
$0.92¥6.13
60.87%
Eggs
$2.24MZN 141
$1.61¥10.73
39.13%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.51MZN 854
$13.38¥89.1
0.97%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.35MZN 339
$3.35¥22.28
59.70%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$5.23MZN 331
$11.35¥75.5
-53.92%
Apples(1kg)
$2.49MZN 157
$1.82¥12.12
36.81%
Banana(1kg)
$1.43MZN 90.5
$1.31¥8.69
9.16%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.12MZN 134
$1.49¥9.89
42.28%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.35MZN 85.1
$1.27¥8.47
6.30%
Potato(1kg)
$1.25MZN 79.0
$0.71¥4.73
76.06%
Onion(1kg)
$1.15MZN 73.0
$0.93¥6.21
23.66%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.89MZN 56.3
$0.62¥4.12
43.55%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80MZN 50.7
$0.56¥3.74
42.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.86MZN 181
$3.78¥25.15
-24.34%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.02MZN 507
$12.13¥80.7
-33.88%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03MZN 65.2
$0.83¥5.54
24.10%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35MZN 85.6
$1.68¥11.21
-19.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Mozambique
China
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.22MZN 13.88
$0.29¥1.92
-24.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$23.01MZN 1,455
$17.83¥119
29.05%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.58MZN 99.8
$1.49¥9.89
6.04%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.59MZN 101
$0.37¥2.49
329.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.44MZN 1,545
$7.10¥47.24
244.23%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.38MZN 87.1
$1.26¥8.37
9.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.7KMZN 2.0M
$19.4K¥129.4K
63.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6KMZN 1.4M
$17.5K¥116.7K
29.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mozambique
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$78.9MZN 4,992
$54.6¥363
44.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.19MZN 581
$8.73¥58.1
5.27%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$97.7MZN 6,177
$11.07¥73.6
782.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mozambique
China
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.01MZN 2,594
$40.77¥271
0.59%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.01MZN 1,645
$14.48¥96.4
79.63%
Cinema Ticket
$7.85MZN 496
$6.78¥45.12
15.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mozambique
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$164MZN 10.3K
$517¥3,438
-68.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,220MZN 330.1K
$19.8K¥131.8K
-73.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mozambique
China
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.24MZN 2,798
$46.53¥310
-4.92%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.4MZN 3,252
$35.66¥237
44.20%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$74.3MZN 4,698
$77.0¥512
-3.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.2MZN 4,631
$80.3¥534
-8.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mozambique
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$525MZN 33.2K
$386¥2,567
36.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$375MZN 23.7K
$235¥1,561
59.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$956MZN 60.5K
$822¥5,469
16.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$492MZN 31.1K
$453¥3,015
8.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,170MZN 263.7K
$4,697¥31.3K
-11.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,038MZN 128.9K
$2,372¥15.8K
-14.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mozambique
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$322MZN 20.4K
$1,093¥7,274
-70.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
25
3.46
622.54%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Mozambique: October 26, 2026
Last update for China: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mozambique
$375 33.8%
China
$235 29.6% ↓ 37.5%$141
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mozambique
$202 18.1%
China
$210 26.5% ↑ 4.2%$8.4
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mozambique
$186 16.7%
China
$74 9.4% ↓ 60%$111
🍽Eating Out
Mozambique
$149 13.4%
China
$88 11.1% ↓ 40.9%$61
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mozambique
$109 9.9%
China
$108 13.6% ↓ 1.5%$1.7
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mozambique
$57 5.1%
China
$54 6.9% ↓ 4.2%$2.4
🚌Getting Around
Mozambique
$33 3%
China
$22 2.8% ↓ 33.2%$11
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mozambique
$492 23%
China
$453 26.5% ↓ 7.9%$39
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mozambique
$465 21.8%
China
$483 28.3% ↑ 3.9%$18
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mozambique
$195 9.1%
China
$83 4.9% ↓ 57.4%$112
🍽Eating Out
Mozambique
$536 25.1%
China
$284 16.6% ↓ 47.1%$252
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mozambique
$243 11.4%
China
$239 14% ↓ 1.5%$3.7
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mozambique
$139 6.5%
China
$123 7.2% ↓ 11.7%$16
🚌Getting Around
Mozambique
$67 3.2%
China
$45 2.6% ↓ 32.8%$22
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $504 in Mozambique, $298 in China. Capital cities: $547 in Maputo vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).
💰National salary averages: $316 in Mozambique, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 69% higher in Mozambique.
⭐Dining out costs 168% more in Mozambique.
⭐Public transport is 33% more expensive in Mozambique.
⭐Salaries are about 2.8 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in 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
Mozambique vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Mozambique?
At $791 per month in China and $1,111 in Mozambique, China comes out about 29% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do rents compare between China and Mozambique?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $504 in Mozambique and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in China and in Mozambique?
It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.
Mozambique vs other spots: cost of living compared