Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimbabwe and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimbabwe and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $487 in Zimbabwe versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $803 in Zimbabwe versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,119 in Zimbabwe versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Zimbabwe costs about 32% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Zimbabwe 64% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 ZWL 174

$2.92 ¥19.58

122.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.17 ZWL 1,023

$22.23 ¥149

71.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.17 ZWL 165

$5.13 ¥34.34

20.27%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ZWL 70.6

$2.99 ¥20.03

-12.04%

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

$0.73 ZWL 19.65

$0.52 ¥3.50

40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ZWL 13.98

$0.28 ¥1.87

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 ZWL 39.83

$1.05 ¥7.04

41.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

$2.26 ¥15.17

-9.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ZWL 40.45

$1.81 ¥12.11

-16.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ZWL 26.13

$1.68 ¥11.23

-41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ZWL 40.15

$0.90 ¥6.05

66.67%

Eggs

$1.89 ZWL 50.5

$1.56 ¥10.43

21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ZWL 269

$13.24 ¥88.7

-24.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 ZWL 129

$3.49 ¥23.40

38.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.86 ZWL 157

$11.23 ¥75.2

-47.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ZWL 74.1

$1.86 ¥12.43

48.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 ZWL 45.70

$1.26 ¥8.47

35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ZWL 53.0

$1.53 ¥10.22

29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ZWL 36.81

$1.26 ¥8.45

8.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ZWL 41.69

$0.73 ¥4.91

113.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 ZWL 42.77

$0.88 ¥5.89

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ZWL 30.99

$0.65 ¥4.33

78.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ZWL 28.56

$0.58 ¥3.88

84.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 ZWL 54.0

$3.71 ¥24.84

-45.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.15 ZWL 191

$11.80 ¥79.0

-39.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ZWL 34.84

$0.85 ¥5.69

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ZWL 52.6

$1.67 ¥11.19

17.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZWL 26.12

$0.29 ¥1.93

234.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.40 ZWL 1,216

$22.67 ¥152

100.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 ZWL 79.6

$1.50 ¥10.07

98.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 ZWL 55.1

$0.35 ¥2.32

488.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 ZWL 136

$7.29 ¥48.84

-30.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 ZWL 47.20

$1.22 ¥8.18

44.26%

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

$24.5K ZWL 657.6K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

29.22%

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

$27.3K ZWL 732.3K

$17.4K ¥116.2K

57.54%

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

$52.9 ZWL 1,418

$54.0 ¥362

-1.95%

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

$18.34 ZWL 491

$8.41 ¥56.4

118.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 ZWL 1,807

$10.82 ¥72.5

523.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.60 ZWL 1,141

$40.41 ¥271

5.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 ZWL 540

$14.63 ¥98.0

37.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.88 ZWL 265

$6.60 ¥44.18

49.70%

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

$329 ZWL 8,821

$452 ¥3,025

-27.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,311 ZWL 222.7K

$19.2K ¥128.9K

-56.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.78 ZWL 530

$44.23 ¥296

-55.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.25 ZWL 489

$35.46 ¥238

-48.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.70 ZWL 1,090

$74.7 ¥500

-45.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.94 ZWL 1,177

$78.6 ¥527

-44.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 ZWL 7,726

$394 ¥2,642

-26.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 ZWL 6,159

$243 ¥1,630

-5.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 ZWL 17.0K

$845 ¥5,660

-24.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 ZWL 13.9K

$481 ¥3,221

7.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$916 ZWL 24.5K

$4,609 ¥30.9K

-80.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$395 ZWL 10.6K

$2,327 ¥15.6K

-83.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$359 ZWL 9,619

$1,060 ¥7,100

-66.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.77

3.47

296.83%

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

Last update for Zimbabwe: September 14, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $102 in Zimbabwe, $294 in China. Capital cities: $401 in Harare vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $361 in Zimbabwe, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 188% higher in China.

Dining out costs 29% more in Zimbabwe.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 140% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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

Zimbabwe vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $837 per month in China and $528 in Zimbabwe, there's a 59% 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 Zimbabwe: 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 Zimbabwe across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Zimbabwe, $1,000 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: Zimbabwe wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.