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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $693 per month in Chengdu vs $686 in Alabang, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in Chengdu vs $1,113 in Alabang, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,511 per month in Chengdu vs $1,540 in Alabang, rent included.

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

Both Chengdu and Alabang are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 48% lower, Alabang 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.34

$4.10 ₱249

-33.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.62 ¥160

$20.91 ₱1,270

12.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.85

$2.25 ₱137

122.67%

Cappuccino

$2.85 ¥19.31

$2.69 ₱164

5.95%

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

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.92 ₱55.8

-53.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.04

$0.35 ₱21.01

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.71

$1.22 ₱74.4

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.92

$2.61 ₱159

-21.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.93

$1.62 ₱98.3

8.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.78

$1.21 ₱73.6

19.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$0.74 ₱44.83

16.22%

Eggs

$1.87 ¥12.61

$1.96 ₱119

-4.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 ¥94.1

$6.96 ₱423

99.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ¥24.71

$3.08 ₱187

18.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$6.63 ₱402

71.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.41

$2.14 ₱130

-14.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.20

$1.44 ₱87.3

-15.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.25

$1.57 ₱95.6

-3.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.18

$1.61 ₱97.8

-34.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.74

$1.22 ₱74.2

-42.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.05

$3.23 ₱196

-76.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.79

$1.63 ₱98.9

-65.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.69 ₱42.14

-11.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ¥22.73

$2.10 ₱128

60.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 ¥36.65

$7.23 ₱439

-25.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥6.70

$1.25 ₱76.1

-20.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.65

$1.74 ₱106

7.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.28 ₱17.15

46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.48 ¥186

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.24

$0.77 ₱46.84

58.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.24 ₱14.65

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ¥28.98

$2.15 ₱130

99.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$1.14 ₱69.4

-0.88%

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

$18.8K ¥127.3K

$26.2K ₱1.6M

-28.04%

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

$16.4K ¥110.8K

$20.3K ₱1.2M

-19.24%

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

$43.99 ¥297

$46.11 ₱2,800

-4.60%

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

$11.52 ¥77.9

$33.17 ₱2,014

-65.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.69 ¥79.1

$30.41 ₱1,846

-61.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.22 ¥164

$33.71 ₱2,047

-28.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.33 ¥76.6

$4.51 ₱274

151.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 ¥38.75

$3.47 ₱211

65.13%

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

$338 ¥2,284

$67.5 ₱4,099

400.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ¥82.7K

$2,825 ₱171.5K

332.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.79 ¥256

$31.41 ₱1,907

20.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.95 ¥257

$17.59 ₱1,068

115.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$98.9 ₱6,004

-31.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.73 ¥336

$53.6 ₱3,253

-7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 ¥2,134

$248 ₱15.1K

27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,231

$177 ₱10.7K

3.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ¥4,160

$578 ₱35.1K

6.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ¥2,230

$396 ₱24.1K

-16.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,780 ¥25.6K

$2,070 ₱125.7K

82.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 ¥12.9K

$1,117 ₱67.8K

70.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 ¥8,248

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

8.13

-48.22%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 9, 2026

Last update for Alabang: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $316 in Chengdu versus $248 in Alabang. 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 $24.00 in Chengdu versus $21.00 in Alabang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $178 – 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

Chengdu vs Alabang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chengdu 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 $1,040 per month in Chengdu and $1,029 in Alabang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alabang, 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 $24.00 in Chengdu and $21.00 in Alabang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Chengdu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $693 in Chengdu and $686 in Alabang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Alabang – 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 Alabang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.