Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Philippines Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Philippines

Name: Philippines
Address: PH

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $713 in China versus $758 in Philippines.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $1,183 in Philippines.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $1,608 in Philippines.

Living in China costs about 6% less than in Philippines on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Philippines 44% lower.

China ($535–$1,206) and Philippines ($496–$1,186) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.36

$4.10 ₱249

-30.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.29 ¥158

$21.36 ₱1,297

9.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ¥32.66

$3.64 ₱221

32.69%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.52

$2.43 ₱148

25.10%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.72 ₱43.66

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.42 ₱25.31

-35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ¥6.71

$1.36 ₱82.8

-27.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥13.74

$2.15 ₱131

-5.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.86

$1.85 ₱112

-5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.31

$1.32 ₱79.9

26.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.56

$1.01 ₱61.0

-3.96%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.45

$2.11 ₱128

-27.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 ¥89.9

$8.03 ₱488

65.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ¥21.69

$4.27 ₱260

-24.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 ¥73.0

$7.65 ₱465

41.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.27

$3.09 ₱188

-41.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.84

$1.43 ₱86.9

-8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$2.73 ₱166

-45.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.74

$1.58 ₱96.2

-27.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.90

$2.27 ₱138

-67.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.86

$2.67 ₱162

-67.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.85

$1.44 ₱87.3

-60.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.74 ₱44.93

-27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ¥23.88

$2.95 ₱179

19.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 ¥79.2

$6.47 ₱393

80.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.67

$1.14 ₱69.2

-26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.29

$1.87 ₱114

-10.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.28 ₱17.06

46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

$10.49 ₱637

98.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.21

$0.83 ₱50.3

63.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$0.27 ₱16.46

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 ¥46.40

$2.60 ₱158

163.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.57

$1.12 ₱68.1

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

$19.2K ¥129.8K

$23.5K ₱1.4M

-18.25%

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

$16.9K ¥114.4K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-19.55%

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

$51.8 ¥350

$110 ₱6,665

-52.80%

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

$9.85 ¥66.6

$28.58 ₱1,735

-65.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.13 ¥75.3

$30.82 ₱1,871

-63.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 ¥264

$32.91 ₱1,998

18.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 ¥101

$5.67 ₱344

162.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥42.24

$6.14 ₱373

1.79%

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

$404 ¥2,732

$108 ₱6,570

273.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.5K

$4,389 ₱266.5K

305.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.11 ¥312

$46.23 ₱2,807

-0.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 ¥218

$24.93 ₱1,514

29.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 ¥491

$73.1 ₱4,439

-0.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥493

$62.2 ₱3,775

17.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 ¥3,009

$309 ₱18.8K

43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 ¥1,727

$179 ₱10.9K

42.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ¥6,266

$670 ₱40.7K

38.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 ¥3,600

$360 ₱21.9K

47.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,943 ¥33.4K

$3,102 ₱188.3K

59.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 ¥16.9K

$1,458 ₱88.5K

70.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,057 ¥7,148

$327 ₱19.9K

223.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

7.22

-43.77%

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

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Last update for Philippines: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $258 in Philippines. Capital cities: $913 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $491 in Manila.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $295 in Philippines. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11% higher in China.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 192% 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

China vs Philippines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $841 in Philippines, there's a 4% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Philippines 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 Philippines across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Philippines, $2,000 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. Philippines wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.