Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and the Philippines

Name: Philippines
Address: PH

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $883 in the Philippines, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the Philippines outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in the Philippines
Learn more

Philippines Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

🇵🇭 Philippines

$883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in the Philippines

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in China and in the Philippines actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in China versus $883 in the Philippines.

China $789
Philippines $883

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in China versus $1,365 in the Philippines.

China $1,254
Philippines $1,365

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in China versus $1,846 in the Philippines.

China $1,720
Philippines $1,846

Internal cost variation is higher in the Philippines: monthly costs span $124 to $1,174, compared to $468–$1,246 in China. City choice carries more weight in the Philippines.

Living in China costs about 11% less than in the Philippines on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, the Philippines 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.25

$4.00 ₱254

-24.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.12 ¥147

$23.75 ₱1,507

-6.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.75

$3.93 ₱250

36.64%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.54

$2.30 ₱146

27.39%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.79 ₱50.0

-39.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.44 ₱27.62

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.15

$1.33 ₱84.5

-19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.69

$2.39 ₱152

-7.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.75 ₱111

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.76

$1.29 ₱81.9

25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.58

$0.93 ₱59.2

6.45%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.80

$2.03 ₱129

-20.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.5

$7.83 ₱497

71.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥23.05

$4.46 ₱283

-22.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.2

$7.25 ₱460

53.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.60

$3.05 ₱193

-38.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.72

$1.51 ₱96.0

-13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.97

$2.42 ₱153

-38.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.90

$1.65 ₱105

-18.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.77

$2.14 ₱136

-66.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.31 ₱146

-59.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$1.71 ₱109

-61.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$0.62 ₱39.58

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥25.43

$3.04 ₱193

25.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 ¥81.1

$7.26 ₱460

67.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.04

$1.18 ₱75.1

-22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.96

$1.83 ₱116

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.23 ₱14.55

26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥120

$13.47 ₱854

34.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.22

$1.02 ₱64.5

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.46

$0.22 ₱13.96

68.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ¥44.59

$1.93 ₱122

246.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.50

$1.19 ₱75.5

7.56%

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

$19.7K ¥131.5K

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-7.85%

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

$17.5K ¥116.3K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

-7.21%

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

$55.3 ¥368

$115 ₱7,326

-52.09%

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

$8.32 ¥55.4

$14.02 ₱889

-40.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 ¥74.1

$26.85 ₱1,703

-58.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 ¥264

$35.19 ₱2,233

12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

$6.10 ₱387

148.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ¥44.27

$6.25 ₱397

6.40%

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

$514 ¥3,426

$296 ₱18.8K

73.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K ¥232.5K

$9,773 ₱620.0K

257.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.85 ¥305

$50.3 ₱3,193

-8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.41 ¥236

$25.88 ₱1,642

36.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥506

$72.8 ₱4,618

4.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ¥533

$59.8 ₱3,793

33.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,528

$459 ₱29.1K

-17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,543

$279 ₱17.7K

-17.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ¥5,565

$1,067 ₱67.7K

-21.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥3,075

$569 ₱36.1K

-18.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 ¥31.6K

$4,174 ₱264.8K

13.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 ¥15.9K

$2,305 ₱146.2K

3.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 ¥7,438

$325 ₱20.6K

243.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

7.02

-50.85%

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

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Last update for the Philippines: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.4%

Philippines

$279 31.6% 20.5% $48

Groceries & Markets

China

$212 26.8%

Philippines

$201 22.8% 4.8% $10

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.5%

Philippines

$94 10.6% 12% $13

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Philippines

$88 9.9% 1% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.5%

Philippines

$156 17.7% 109% $82

Sport & Entertainment

China

$53 6.7%

Philippines

$48 5.4% 9.9% $5.3

Getting Around

China

$23 2.9%

Philippines

$17 1.9% 27% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $302 in the Philippines. Capital cities: $942 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $533 in Manila.

National salary averages: $881 in China, $270 in the Philippines. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 16% more in China.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in China.

Salaries are about 3.3 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇵🇭 Philippines

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

Same time as China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

109,035,343

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.46 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.44 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.03 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China Philippines 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Philippines

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 $789 per month in China and $883 in the Philippines, China comes out about 11% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.