Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulacan and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulacan and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $718 per month in Bulacan vs $689 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,050 per month in Bulacan vs $1,083 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,383 per month in Bulacan vs $1,477 in Chengdu, rent included.

Bulacan costs about 4% more than Chengdu, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Bulacan and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Bulacan 46% lower, Chengdu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 ₱167

$2.85 ¥19.30

-5.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.10 ₱870

$24.00 ¥162

-41.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.83 ₱174

$4.99 ¥33.72

-43.29%

Cappuccino

$2.22 ₱137

$2.77 ¥18.73

-19.86%

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

$0.68 ₱41.84

$0.46 ¥3.14

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱18.92

$0.30 ¥2.06

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 ₱63.9

$1.13 ¥7.62

-7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₱129

$2.13 ¥14.43

-1.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₱130

$1.80 ¥12.18

17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ₱77.0

$1.39 ¥9.38

-10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱56.6

$0.90 ¥6.09

2.22%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱121

$1.86 ¥12.59

5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.04 ₱188

$13.62 ¥92.1

-77.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 ₱228

$3.56 ¥24.07

3.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 ₱411

$11.23 ¥76.0

-40.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₱128

$1.86 ¥12.61

11.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₱88.6

$1.18 ¥7.99

22.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ₱132

$1.50 ¥10.15

42.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ₱88.2

$1.04 ¥7.01

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ₱107

$0.70 ¥4.73

148.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 ₱93.6

$0.70 ¥4.71

117.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₱54.0

$0.56 ¥3.81

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₱52.1

$0.61 ¥4.12

37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 ₱177

$3.24 ¥21.91

-11.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.63 ₱224

$5.44 ¥36.77

-33.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₱67.3

$1.00 ¥6.78

9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱100

$1.87 ¥12.67

-13.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₱17.95

$0.41 ¥2.77

-29.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.49 ₱462

$27.31 ¥185

-72.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱47.02

$1.22 ¥8.28

-37.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.84

$0.26 ¥1.75

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 ₱168

$4.09 ¥27.62

-33.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱67.6

$1.14 ¥7.69

-3.51%

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

$27.1K ₱1.7M

$18.7K ¥126.6K

44.72%

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

$14.7K ₱905.5K

$16.0K ¥108.4K

-8.44%

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

$113 ₱6,942

$45.05 ¥305

149.90%

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

$32.16 ₱1,983

$11.69 ¥79.1

175.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.96 ₱1,724

$11.38 ¥77.0

145.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 ₱2,501

$24.49 ¥166

65.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.40 ₱271

$11.16 ¥75.5

-60.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ₱393

$5.54 ¥37.45

15.16%

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

$106 ₱6,556

$333 ¥2,249

-68.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,394 ₱270.9K

$12.1K ¥82.1K

-63.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.90 ₱1,844

$37.92 ¥256

-21.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ₱1,440

$38.57 ¥261

-39.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 ₱4,674

$67.4 ¥456

12.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.2 ₱6,052

$50.7 ¥343

93.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 ₱15.7K

$318 ¥2,149

-19.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 ₱8,326

$179 ¥1,213

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₱24.1K

$610 ¥4,128

-35.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 ₱12.4K

$335 ¥2,263

-39.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 ₱117.6K

$3,810 ¥25.8K

-49.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,479 ₱91.2K

$1,922 ¥13.0K

-23.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$294 ₱18.1K

$1,257 ¥8,501

-76.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

4.21

46.56%

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

Last update for Bulacan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $255 in Bulacan versus $318 in Chengdu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 327% higher in Chengdu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14.00 in Bulacan versus $24.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $165 vs $196 – making Bulacan 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

Bulacan vs Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bulacan costs about 4% more than Chengdu, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,076 per month in Bulacan and $1,033 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $718 in Bulacan and $689 in Chengdu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 265% less in Chengdu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $718 in Bulacan and $689 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.

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