Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanzania and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanzania: $621 a month against $800 in China, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tanzania
Learn more

Tanzania Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$621

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tanzania 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 Tanzania and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $621 in Tanzania versus $800 in China.

Tanzania $621
China $800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $950 in Tanzania versus $1,266 in China.

Tanzania $950
China $1,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,278 in Tanzania versus $1,731 in China.

Tanzania $1,278
China $1,731

Living in Tanzania costs about 22% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Tanzania 54% lower, China 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.19 TZS 5,746

$2.92 ¥19.50

-25.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.73 TZS 49.0K

$22.45 ¥150

-16.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 TZS 19.3K

$5.33 ¥35.65

38.09%

Cappuccino

$1.90 TZS 4,979

$3.04 ¥20.34

-37.50%

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

$0.35 TZS 925

$0.48 ¥3.23

-27.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 TZS 658

$0.30 ¥2.02

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 TZS 2,659

$1.07 ¥7.12

-4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 TZS 4,867

$2.26 ¥15.11

-17.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 TZS 2,351

$1.75 ¥11.70

-48.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 TZS 1,728

$1.62 ¥10.80

-59.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 TZS 2,630

$0.99 ¥6.63

1.01%

Eggs

$2.02 TZS 5,301

$1.56 ¥10.44

29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 TZS 21.9K

$13.25 ¥88.6

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 TZS 11.3K

$3.37 ¥22.50

27.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.01 TZS 10.5K

$11.39 ¥76.2

-64.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 TZS 5,947

$1.82 ¥12.19

24.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 TZS 2,720

$1.25 ¥8.34

-16.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 TZS 2,643

$1.55 ¥10.39

-34.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 TZS 2,318

$1.28 ¥8.55

-31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 TZS 2,394

$0.71 ¥4.72

28.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 TZS 2,992

$0.86 ¥5.75

32.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 TZS 1,872

$0.65 ¥4.36

9.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 TZS 1,063

$0.59 ¥3.97

-30.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 TZS 4,862

$3.76 ¥25.14

-50.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 TZS 15.1K

$11.76 ¥78.6

-50.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 TZS 2,705

$0.91 ¥6.11

13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 TZS 3,688

$1.62 ¥10.86

-12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 TZS 629

$0.31 ¥2.10

-22.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.81 TZS 38.8K

$22.75 ¥152

-34.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 TZS 4,538

$1.52 ¥10.17

13.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 TZS 4,003

$0.37 ¥2.50

313.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.34 TZS 34.9K

$7.28 ¥48.66

83.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 TZS 3,543

$1.25 ¥8.38

8.00%

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

$16.7K TZS 43.8M

$19.4K ¥129.7K

-13.83%

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

$24.7K TZS 64.7M

$17.1K ¥114.4K

44.26%

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

$54.1 TZS 141.8K

$55.5 ¥371

-2.47%

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

$10.12 TZS 26.5K

$8.29 ¥55.4

22.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.32 TZS 100.4K

$10.97 ¥73.3

249.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.5 TZS 166.2K

$40.38 ¥270

57.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.18 TZS 18.8K

$14.76 ¥98.7

-51.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 TZS 14.6K

$6.76 ¥45.18

-17.60%

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

$546 TZS 1.4M

$465 ¥3,108

17.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K TZS 28.5M

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-44.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.23 TZS 37.3K

$46.32 ¥310

-69.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.20 TZS 55.5K

$36.30 ¥243

-41.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.70 TZS 83.0K

$76.3 ¥510

-58.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.38 TZS 108.4K

$78.8 ¥527

-47.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 TZS 1.1M

$396 ¥2,646

5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 TZS 397.2K

$240 ¥1,604

-36.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 TZS 1.9M

$822 ¥5,499

-13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 TZS 734.0K

$466 ¥3,116

-39.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,564 TZS 4.1M

$4,544 ¥30.4K

-65.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,064 TZS 2.8M

$2,282 ¥15.3K

-53.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$240 TZS 628.6K

$1,075 ¥7,188

-77.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.5

3.46

319.08%

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

Last update for Tanzania: October 19, 2026

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tanzania

$152 24.4%

China

$240 30% 58.1% $88

Groceries & Markets

Tanzania

$145 23.3%

China

$209 26.1% 44.4% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tanzania

$103 16.5%

China

$75 9.3% 27.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Tanzania

$75 12%

China

$54 6.7% 27.8% $21

Eating Out

Tanzania

$74 11.9%

China

$89 11.1% 20.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Tanzania

$49 7.9%

China

$107 13.4% 119% $58

Getting Around

Tanzania

$25 4.1%

China

$27 3.4% 8.9% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $231 in Tanzania, $870 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 278% higher in China.

Dining out costs 133% more in China.

Public transport is 467% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 277% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Tanzania

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

19:37 7:37 PM

5 h ahead of Tanzania

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

57,310,019

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tanzania China 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Tanzania
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

Tanzania vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $621 in Tanzania, there's a 29% 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 Tanzania: 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 $79.0 in Tanzania. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Tanzania, $800 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: Tanzania wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.