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: $712 in China versus $759 in Philippines.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,185 in Philippines.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,549 in China versus $1,611 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 43% lower.

China ($533–$1,212) and Philippines ($483–$1,226) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.71

$3.92 ₱240

-29.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.05 ¥162

$21.19 ₱1,297

13.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥31.91

$3.52 ₱216

34.38%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.77

$2.31 ₱142

33.33%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$0.76 ₱46.59

-42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$0.39 ₱23.72

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

$1.31 ₱80.2

-22.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.02

$2.17 ₱133

-4.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.38

$1.88 ₱115

-2.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$1.31 ₱80.4

23.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

$0.95 ₱58.0

2.11%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

$2.14 ₱131

-24.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

$8.02 ₱491

66.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.74

$4.50 ₱276

-25.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.1

$7.45 ₱456

43.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.25

$3.00 ₱184

-39.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.43

$1.51 ₱92.4

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$2.77 ₱170

-47.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

$1.58 ₱97.0

-27.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$2.22 ₱136

-67.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

$2.64 ₱162

-66.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$1.39 ₱85.4

-56.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.58

$0.76 ₱46.57

-30.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.91

$2.95 ₱180

14.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.2

$6.27 ₱384

87.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.22

$1.15 ₱70.6

-33.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.97

$1.89 ₱116

-13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.26 ₱15.90

57.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

$10.63 ₱651

99.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.12

$0.77 ₱46.96

75.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$0.27 ₱16.62

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥45.23

$2.71 ₱166

147.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.98

$1.17 ₱71.3

0.85%

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

$19.8K ¥133.4K

$23.3K ₱1.4M

-15.03%

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

$16.5K ¥111.6K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

-22.31%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$109 ₱6,691

-52.66%

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

$10.09 ¥68.1

$28.90 ₱1,769

-65.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥76.8

$30.54 ₱1,869

-62.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 ¥265

$33.02 ₱2,021

18.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

$5.66 ₱346

162.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.53

$6.18 ₱378

1.94%

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

$414 ¥2,793

$107 ₱6,553

286.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.5K

$4,329 ₱265.0K

302.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 ¥316

$46.19 ₱2,828

1.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ¥223

$25.43 ₱1,557

30.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

$71.9 ₱4,402

-1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$63.7 ₱3,901

16.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ¥2,971

$320 ₱19.6K

37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,706

$177 ₱10.8K

42.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 ¥6,150

$661 ₱40.4K

37.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥3,582

$351 ₱21.5K

51.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$3,024 ₱185.1K

57.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ¥16.2K

$1,451 ₱88.8K

65.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,140

$327 ₱20.0K

223.81%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Philippines: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $258 in Philippines. Capital cities: $909 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $488 in Manila.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $296 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 190% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $873 per month in China and $855 in Philippines, there's a 2% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Philippines: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.