Cost of Living Comparison Between Zambia and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Zambia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $278 in Zambia versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $476 in Zambia versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $673 in Zambia versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Zambia costs about 61% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Zambia 79% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 ZMW 125

$2.81 ¥18.98

149.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ZMW 416

$23.30 ¥158

0.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.63 ZMW 64.9

$5.01 ¥33.87

-27.54%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ZMW 35.51

$3.01 ¥20.38

-33.89%

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

$0.67 ZMW 11.96

$0.45 ¥3.03

48.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ZMW 6.32

$0.29 ¥1.97

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ZMW 15.51

$0.95 ¥6.41

-8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ZMW 27.00

$2.05 ¥13.87

-26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ZMW 22.95

$1.76 ¥11.87

-26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ZMW 15.16

$1.62 ¥10.98

-47.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 ZMW 32.56

$0.95 ¥6.45

91.58%

Eggs

$1.54 ZMW 27.53

$1.56 ¥10.55

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 ZMW 140

$13.06 ¥88.3

-40.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 ZMW 70.5

$3.28 ¥22.17

20.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.01 ZMW 89.5

$10.65 ¥72.0

-52.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ZMW 41.73

$1.78 ¥12.03

31.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ZMW 27.93

$1.24 ¥8.42

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 ZMW 46.64

$1.50 ¥10.12

74.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ZMW 20.48

$1.15 ¥7.79

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 ZMW 35.63

$0.75 ¥5.07

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ZMW 24.17

$0.86 ¥5.81

56.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ZMW 17.21

$0.62 ¥4.17

54.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ZMW 9.54

$0.56 ¥3.81

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 ZMW 39.49

$3.51 ¥23.76

-37.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 ZMW 188

$11.66 ¥78.9

-9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ZMW 15.14

$0.80 ¥5.40

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ZMW 22.87

$1.66 ¥11.25

-22.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ZMW 16.80

$0.43 ¥2.93

118.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.82 ZMW 711

$20.86 ¥141

90.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ZMW 44.60

$1.37 ¥9.26

82.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ZMW 19.15

$0.35 ¥2.38

205.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ZMW 161

$6.63 ¥44.82

36.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ZMW 21.78

$1.14 ¥7.69

7.02%

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

$7,973 ZMW 142.3K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

-58.43%

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

$28.6K ZMW 510.0K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

70.41%

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

$83.9 ZMW 1,498

$51.2 ¥346

64.04%

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

$51.5 ZMW 919

$10.16 ¥68.7

406.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 ZMW 2,233

$11.51 ¥77.9

986.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.97 ZMW 749

$40.53 ¥274

3.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.59 ZMW 243

$15.05 ¥102

-9.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 ZMW 76.3

$6.10 ¥41.26

-30.00%

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

$176 ZMW 3,140

$402 ¥2,719

-56.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,775 ZMW 174.5K

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-44.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.61 ZMW 350

$45.57 ¥308

-56.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.42 ZMW 311

$33.26 ¥225

-47.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 ZMW 1,403

$72.6 ¥491

8.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ZMW 1,270

$74.5 ¥503

-4.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ZMW 3,743

$429 ¥2,903

-51.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ZMW 2,294

$257 ¥1,739

-50.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ZMW 15.7K

$895 ¥6,055

-2.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 ZMW 12.8K

$541 ¥3,660

32.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,961 ZMW 35.0K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-60.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,654 ZMW 100.9K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

129.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$356 ZMW 6,353

$1,055 ¥7,132

-66.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

515.76%

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

Last update for Zambia: May 31, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $22.00 in Zambia, $286 in China. Capital cities: $224 in Lusaka vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $342 in Zambia, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1200% higher in China.

Dining out costs 91% more in China.

Public transport is 260% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 152% higher in China.

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

Zambia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $438 in Zambia, there's a 97% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Zambia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats Zambia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Zambia, $800 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Zambia wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.