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: $489 in Zimbabwe versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $817 in Zimbabwe versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,145 in Zimbabwe versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Zimbabwe costs about 31% less than in China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 ZWL 192

$2.81 ¥18.98

154.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 ZWL 1,343

$23.30 ¥158

114.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 ZWL 166

$5.01 ¥33.87

23.35%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ZWL 74.7

$3.01 ¥20.38

-7.64%

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

$0.72 ZWL 19.45

$0.45 ¥3.03

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZWL 12.11

$0.29 ¥1.97

55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ZWL 40.96

$0.95 ¥6.41

61.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 55.1

$2.05 ¥13.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ZWL 41.50

$1.76 ¥11.87

-11.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ZWL 26.10

$1.62 ¥10.98

-40.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ZWL 48.71

$0.95 ¥6.45

90.53%

Eggs

$2.16 ZWL 58.0

$1.56 ¥10.55

38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 ZWL 278

$13.06 ¥88.3

-20.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 ZWL 155

$3.28 ¥22.17

75.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.86 ZWL 157

$10.65 ¥72.0

-44.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 ZWL 70.4

$1.78 ¥12.03

47.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ZWL 48.32

$1.24 ¥8.42

45.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 ZWL 57.2

$1.50 ¥10.12

42.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ZWL 42.71

$1.15 ¥7.79

38.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ZWL 42.77

$0.75 ¥5.07

112.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ZWL 49.32

$0.86 ¥5.81

113.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ZWL 28.03

$0.62 ¥4.17

67.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ZWL 28.77

$0.56 ¥3.81

91.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 ZWL 36.61

$3.51 ¥23.76

-61.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 ZWL 184

$11.66 ¥78.9

-41.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ZWL 31.45

$0.80 ¥5.40

46.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ZWL 47.96

$1.66 ¥11.25

7.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ZWL 26.54

$0.43 ¥2.93

130.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.96 ZWL 804

$20.86 ¥141

43.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 ZWL 132

$1.37 ¥9.26

259.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

$0.35 ¥2.38

488.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 ZWL 138

$6.63 ¥44.82

-22.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 ZWL 43.51

$1.14 ¥7.69

42.11%

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

$23.7K ZWL 637.3K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

23.76%

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

$24.3K ZWL 652.1K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

44.88%

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

$53.9 ZWL 1,448

$51.2 ¥346

5.37%

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

$17.47 ZWL 469

$10.16 ¥68.7

71.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.7 ZWL 2,407

$11.51 ¥77.9

678.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.55 ZWL 1,277

$40.53 ¥274

17.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.72 ZWL 288

$15.05 ¥102

-28.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 ZWL 268

$6.10 ¥41.26

63.77%

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

$222 ZWL 5,966

$402 ¥2,719

-44.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,138 ZWL 218.5K

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-53.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.67 ZWL 501

$45.57 ¥308

-59.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.11 ZWL 513

$33.26 ¥225

-42.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.68 ZWL 985

$72.6 ¥491

-49.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.38 ZWL 1,138

$74.5 ¥503

-43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 ZWL 9,020

$429 ¥2,903

-21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 ZWL 6,017

$257 ¥1,739

-12.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 ZWL 22.0K

$895 ¥6,055

-8.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ZWL 14.4K

$541 ¥3,660

-1.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$857 ZWL 23.0K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-82.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$383 ZWL 10.3K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-84.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$344 ZWL 9,233

$1,055 ¥7,132

-67.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.5

4.06

232.51%

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

Last update for Zimbabwe: June 1, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $105 in Zimbabwe, $286 in China. Capital cities: $403 in Harare vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $356 in Zimbabwe, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 172% higher in China.

Dining out costs 52% more in Zimbabwe.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 142% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $496 in Zimbabwe, there's a 74% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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