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: $276 in Zambia versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $548 in Zambia versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $820 in Zambia versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Zambia costs about 62% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Zambia 80% lower, China 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.91 ZMW 133

$2.93 ¥19.60

135.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.38 ZMW 604

$22.72 ¥152

38.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ZMW 102

$5.07 ¥33.95

4.73%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ZMW 59.7

$2.94 ¥19.70

5.44%

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

$0.80 ZMW 15.31

$0.48 ¥3.21

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZMW 9.47

$0.30 ¥2.02

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ZMW 24.52

$1.06 ¥7.10

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ZMW 48.52

$2.25 ¥15.07

12.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ZMW 35.17

$1.79 ¥11.99

2.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ZMW 24.36

$1.70 ¥11.35

-25.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ZMW 46.96

$0.96 ¥6.45

154.17%

Eggs

$1.88 ZMW 36.19

$1.61 ¥10.79

16.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 ZMW 205

$13.60 ¥91.1

-21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ZMW 126

$3.41 ¥22.84

91.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.46 ZMW 124

$11.07 ¥74.2

-41.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 ZMW 69.2

$1.81 ¥12.09

98.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ZMW 42.63

$1.30 ¥8.74

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 ZMW 69.1

$1.48 ¥9.91

142.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ZMW 29.49

$1.30 ¥8.72

17.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 ZMW 54.6

$0.72 ¥4.82

294.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ZMW 37.49

$0.94 ¥6.31

107.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ZMW 23.74

$0.61 ¥4.08

101.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ZMW 14.13

$0.56 ¥3.73

30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ZMW 55.9

$3.67 ¥24.58

-20.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 ZMW 198

$11.90 ¥79.7

-13.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ZMW 26.28

$0.83 ¥5.56

65.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ZMW 40.41

$1.65 ¥11.08

27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ZMW 20.36

$0.29 ¥1.92

265.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ZMW 1,018

$22.61 ¥151

133.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ZMW 50.0

$1.45 ¥9.72

79.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 ZMW 33.13

$0.34 ¥2.31

405.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 ZMW 177

$7.27 ¥48.72

26.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ZMW 28.12

$1.23 ¥8.26

18.70%

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

$6,647 ZMW 127.9K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

-65.98%

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

$39.0K ZMW 751.1K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

126.23%

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

$94.1 ZMW 1,812

$55.5 ¥371

69.74%

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

$11.58 ZMW 223

$8.51 ¥57.0

36.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 ZMW 1,176

$10.81 ¥72.4

464.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ZMW 1,012

$40.02 ¥268

31.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ZMW 333

$14.80 ¥99.1

16.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.96 ZMW 134

$6.73 ¥45.09

3.42%

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

$146 ZMW 2,817

$454 ¥3,042

-67.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ZMW 319.9K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-14.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.28 ZMW 487

$44.95 ¥301

-43.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.33 ZMW 295

$35.81 ¥240

-57.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 ZMW 1,182

$76.8 ¥514

-20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 ZMW 1,496

$77.3 ¥518

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ZMW 8,652

$385 ¥2,581

16.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ZMW 3,436

$242 ¥1,623

-26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 ZMW 20.9K

$837 ¥5,603

29.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ZMW 14.0K

$474 ¥3,177

53.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,987 ZMW 76.8K

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-13.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,500 ZMW 125.1K

$2,316 ¥15.5K

180.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 ZMW 8,308

$1,062 ¥7,110

-59.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.25

3.47

656.48%

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

Last update for Zambia: September 8, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $110 in Zambia, $295 in China. Capital cities: $384 in Lusaka vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $346 in Zambia, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 168% higher in China.

Dining out costs 62% more in China.

Public transport is 467% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 150% 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 $852 per month in China and $454 in Zambia, there's a 88% 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 simply cheaper in Zambia: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: Zambia wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.