Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zambia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $888 in Zambia, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Zambia despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Zambia
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Zambia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇿🇲 Zambia

$888

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Zambia versus $789 in China.

Zambia $888
China $789

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Zambia versus $1,254 in China.

Zambia $1,577
China $1,254

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,267 in Zambia versus $1,720 in China.

Zambia $2,267
China $1,720

Zambia ($129–$860) and China ($468–$1,246) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Zambia is roughly 12% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Zambia 34% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 ZMW 134

$3.04 ¥20.26

118.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.20 ZMW 591

$22.12 ¥147

32.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 ZMW 99.6

$5.37 ¥35.77

-8.38%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ZMW 65.7

$2.93 ¥19.55

10.92%

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

$0.77 ZMW 15.55

$0.48 ¥3.22

60.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ZMW 9.76

$0.30 ¥2.01

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ZMW 25.67

$1.07 ¥7.16

18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ZMW 50.3

$2.21 ¥14.70

12.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ZMW 36.36

$1.80 ¥12.01

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ZMW 24.03

$1.62 ¥10.77

-26.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 ZMW 47.59

$0.99 ¥6.59

137.37%

Eggs

$1.78 ZMW 36.09

$1.62 ¥10.80

9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ZMW 203

$13.44 ¥89.5

-25.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 ZMW 127

$3.46 ¥23.06

81.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.11 ZMW 124

$11.15 ¥74.3

-45.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ZMW 68.4

$1.89 ¥12.61

78.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 ZMW 43.31

$1.31 ¥8.73

63.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 ZMW 67.0

$1.50 ¥9.97

120.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ZMW 30.75

$1.34 ¥8.91

13.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 ZMW 53.3

$0.72 ¥4.77

265.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ZMW 38.93

$0.93 ¥6.22

106.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ZMW 23.73

$0.65 ¥4.35

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ZMW 15.02

$0.60 ¥3.98

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ZMW 60.3

$3.82 ¥25.44

-21.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 ZMW 203

$12.18 ¥81.2

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ZMW 26.23

$0.91 ¥6.05

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ZMW 40.84

$1.65 ¥10.97

22.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ZMW 19.42

$0.29 ¥1.92

231.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 ZMW 1,114

$18.07 ¥120

204.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 ZMW 50.2

$1.53 ¥10.23

62.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 ZMW 32.21

$0.37 ¥2.47

329.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ZMW 179

$6.69 ¥44.61

32.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ZMW 27.36

$1.28 ¥8.50

5.47%

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

$6,270 ZMW 127.0K

$19.7K ¥131.5K

-68.23%

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

$41.6K ZMW 842.1K

$17.5K ¥116.3K

138.24%

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

$77.5 ZMW 1,570

$55.3 ¥369

40.17%

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

$11.24 ZMW 228

$8.32 ¥55.4

35.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 ZMW 1,168

$11.12 ¥74.1

418.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.69 ZMW 986

$39.65 ¥264

22.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.83 ZMW 321

$15.17 ¥101

4.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ZMW 134

$6.65 ¥44.30

-0.30%

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

$147 ZMW 2,968

$514 ¥3,428

-71.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K ZMW 404.1K

$34.9K ¥232.6K

-42.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.13 ZMW 509

$45.85 ¥306

-45.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.67 ZMW 277

$35.41 ¥236

-61.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.6 ZMW 1,166

$76.0 ¥507

-24.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.5 ZMW 1,570

$80.0 ¥533

-3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 ZMW 9,244

$380 ¥2,529

20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ZMW 3,560

$232 ¥1,544

-24.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 ZMW 21.5K

$836 ¥5,568

26.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 ZMW 14.7K

$462 ¥3,077

56.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,803 ZMW 77.0K

$4,743 ¥31.6K

-19.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,966 ZMW 80.3K

$2,383 ¥15.9K

66.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$461 ZMW 9,338

$1,117 ¥7,442

-58.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.25

3.45

660.87%

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

Last update for Zambia: October 31, 2026

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zambia

$233 26.2%

China

$212 26.8% 9% $21

Accommodation & Living

Zambia

$176 19.8%

China

$232 29.4% 31.8% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zambia

$146 16.5%

China

$75 9.5% 49% $72

Eating Out

Zambia

$123 13.9%

China

$89 11.2% 28.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Zambia

$78 8.8%

China

$107 13.5% 36.4% $29

Getting Around

Zambia

$69 7.8%

China

$23 2.9% 67.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Zambia

$62 7%

China

$53 6.7% 14.5% $9

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $590 in Zambia, $298 in China. Capital cities: $388 in Lusaka vs $942 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $358 in Zambia, $881 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 98% higher in Zambia.

Dining out costs 32% more in Zambia.

Public transport is 233% more expensive in Zambia.

Salaries are about 2.5 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Zambia

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

00:31 12:31 AM

06:31 6:31 AM

6 h ahead of Zambia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,610,769

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.94 USD

100 ZMW = 4.4 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 20.25 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.94 USD). 1 EUR = 22.73 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.4 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zambia China 10,940 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Zambia
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

Zambia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $789 per month in China and $888 in Zambia, China comes out about 11% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $590 in Zambia and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.