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: $277 in Zambia versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $476 in Zambia versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $674 in Zambia versus $1,550 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

$7.22 ZMW 131

$2.86 ¥19.35

152.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.17 ZMW 422

$23.44 ¥159

-1.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.75 ZMW 68.3

$4.84 ¥32.75

-22.52%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ZMW 36.54

$3.11 ¥21.06

-35.37%

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

$0.63 ZMW 11.40

$0.44 ¥3.00

43.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ZMW 5.95

$0.29 ¥1.99

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ZMW 15.73

$0.98 ¥6.64

-12.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ZMW 27.50

$2.05 ¥13.88

-26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ZMW 22.51

$1.84 ¥12.47

-32.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ZMW 15.43

$1.62 ¥10.94

-47.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 ZMW 32.02

$0.93 ¥6.28

89.25%

Eggs

$1.54 ZMW 28.04

$1.63 ¥11.03

-5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ZMW 137

$13.15 ¥89.0

-42.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 ZMW 73.4

$3.26 ¥22.09

23.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.82 ZMW 87.7

$10.62 ¥71.9

-54.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ZMW 43.74

$1.80 ¥12.19

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ZMW 27.33

$1.30 ¥8.77

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 ZMW 45.83

$1.46 ¥9.90

72.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ZMW 20.76

$1.20 ¥8.15

-5.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ZMW 35.51

$0.76 ¥5.14

156.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 ZMW 25.99

$0.88 ¥5.93

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ZMW 16.13

$0.57 ¥3.86

56.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ZMW 9.57

$0.54 ¥3.63

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 ZMW 40.28

$3.42 ¥23.17

-35.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 ZMW 189

$11.75 ¥79.5

-11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ZMW 16.75

$0.80 ¥5.40

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ZMW 23.21

$1.62 ¥10.95

-20.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ZMW 17.19

$0.43 ¥2.94

118.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.06 ZMW 729

$20.47 ¥139

95.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ZMW 45.46

$1.36 ¥9.24

83.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ZMW 19.38

$0.35 ¥2.39

202.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.37 ZMW 170

$6.50 ¥43.97

44.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ZMW 22.54

$1.12 ¥7.59

10.71%

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

$8,143 ZMW 148.2K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

-58.18%

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

$28.4K ZMW 517.3K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

68.58%

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

$87.1 ZMW 1,585

$51.7 ¥350

68.41%

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

$51.7 ZMW 941

$10.17 ¥68.8

408.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$127 ZMW 2,305

$11.16 ¥75.5

1035.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.95 ZMW 763

$39.62 ¥268

5.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.89 ZMW 253

$14.53 ¥98.3

-4.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 ZMW 76.6

$6.38 ¥43.19

-34.01%

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

$174 ZMW 3,172

$407 ¥2,756

-57.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,683 ZMW 176.2K

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-45.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.05 ZMW 365

$45.53 ¥308

-55.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.84 ZMW 325

$32.31 ¥219

-44.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ZMW 1,434

$72.6 ¥491

8.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 ZMW 1,304

$74.4 ¥504

-3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 ZMW 3,792

$443 ¥2,996

-52.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 ZMW 2,308

$258 ¥1,747

-50.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 ZMW 15.7K

$910 ¥6,162

-5.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 ZMW 13.0K

$543 ¥3,677

31.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,948 ZMW 90.0K

$4,934 ¥33.4K

0.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,502 ZMW 172.9K

$2,398 ¥16.2K

296.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$323 ZMW 5,884

$1,065 ¥7,205

-69.64%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $22.00 in Zambia, $287 in China. Capital cities: $228 in Lusaka vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $338 in Zambia, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1205% higher in China.

Dining out costs 91% more in China.

Public transport is 260% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 153% 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 $862 per month in China and $428 in Zambia, there's a 102% 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.