Cost of Living Comparison Between Alabang and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Alabang and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $685 per month in Alabang vs $678 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,110 per month in Alabang vs $1,080 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,536 per month in Alabang vs $1,481 in Chengdu, rent included.

Alabang costs about 1% more than Chengdu, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Alabang and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Alabang 49% lower, Chengdu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 ₱242

$2.75 ¥18.55

46.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.59 ₱1,300

$23.57 ¥159

-8.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.25 ₱136

$4.95 ¥33.44

-54.55%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱156

$2.83 ¥19.13

-8.48%

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

$1.00 ₱60.0

$0.43 ¥2.93

132.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₱22.47

$0.30 ¥2.04

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ₱72.7

$1.13 ¥7.64

7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₱158

$2.04 ¥13.76

28.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱97.7

$1.73 ¥11.67

-6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ₱70.5

$1.46 ¥9.85

-19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ₱41.75

$0.88 ¥5.92

-21.59%

Eggs

$1.94 ₱117

$1.92 ¥12.99

1.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.85 ₱412

$13.60 ¥91.9

-49.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 ₱186

$3.49 ¥23.61

-11.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.90 ₱416

$11.13 ¥75.2

-38.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 ₱133

$1.84 ¥12.43

20.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ₱86.2

$1.18 ¥7.97

21.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ₱98.3

$1.45 ¥9.79

12.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₱97.2

$1.03 ¥6.93

56.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ₱76.5

$0.65 ¥4.41

95.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₱194

$0.70 ¥4.71

360.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 ₱99.0

$0.57 ¥3.85

187.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₱41.79

$0.57 ¥3.82

21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 ₱131

$3.32 ¥22.41

-34.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.32 ₱441

$5.42 ¥36.60

35.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₱76.9

$1.00 ¥6.78

28.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₱109

$1.81 ¥12.22

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱16.96

$0.44 ¥2.97

-36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.20 ¥191

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱49.22

$1.24 ¥8.38

-33.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.17

$0.28 ¥1.89

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ₱130

$4.29 ¥29.01

-49.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₱68.6

$1.13 ¥7.64

0.88%

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

$26.0K ₱1.6M

$19.1K ¥129.0K

36.04%

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

$20.4K ₱1.2M

$16.4K ¥110.5K

24.84%

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

$46.17 ₱2,781

$44.00 ¥297

4.93%

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

$32.37 ₱1,950

$11.53 ¥77.9

180.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.88 ₱1,800

$11.65 ¥78.7

156.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.39 ₱2,011

$23.99 ¥162

39.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.36 ₱263

$11.57 ¥78.1

-62.32%

Cinema Ticket

$3.58 ₱216

$5.65 ¥38.14

-36.64%

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

$65.8 ₱3,961

$342 ¥2,312

-80.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,800 ₱168.6K

$12.2K ¥82.5K

-77.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.46 ₱1,895

$37.58 ¥254

-16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.47 ₱1,052

$39.35 ¥266

-55.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 ₱5,899

$66.0 ¥446

48.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 ₱3,202

$50.6 ¥342

4.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 ₱14.7K

$312 ¥2,105

-21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₱10.8K

$180 ¥1,218

-0.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 ₱34.8K

$624 ¥4,212

-7.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₱23.6K

$327 ¥2,208

19.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,566 ₱154.6K

$3,850 ¥26.0K

-33.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 ₱56.5K

$1,945 ¥13.1K

-51.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,264 ¥8,541

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.13

4.21

93.11%

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

Last update for Alabang: June 14, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Alabang versus $312 in Chengdu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Alabang versus $24.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $194 – making Alabang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Alabang vs Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Alabang is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,027 per month in Alabang and $1,017 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Alabang and $24.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Alabang – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $685 in Alabang and $678 in Chengdu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chengdu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alabang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.