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: $719 in China versus $701 in Philippines.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,147 in China versus $1,071 in Philippines.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $1,441 in Philippines.

Living in China is roughly 3% more expensive than in Philippines on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Philippines 49% lower.

China ($455–$1,219) and Philippines ($374–$1,226) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.55

$3.88 ₱244

-24.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.23 ¥149

$21.14 ₱1,327

5.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥34.29

$3.13 ₱197

63.90%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.00

$2.26 ₱142

32.30%

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

$0.52 ¥3.49

$0.74 ₱46.16

-29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.36 ₱22.75

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.03

$1.29 ₱80.8

-18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.15

$2.05 ₱128

10.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.10

$1.73 ₱108

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.21 ₱76.0

38.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.04

$0.89 ₱55.6

1.12%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$1.95 ₱123

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 ¥88.6

$7.16 ₱450

84.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ¥23.36

$4.10 ₱257

-14.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.1

$7.05 ₱442

59.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.42

$2.86 ₱179

-34.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.46

$1.41 ₱88.2

-10.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.21

$2.43 ₱152

-37.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$1.46 ₱91.5

-13.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$2.17 ₱136

-66.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.88

$2.55 ₱160

-65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.33

$1.37 ₱85.9

-52.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.67 ₱42.19

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.81

$2.79 ₱175

32.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$6.33 ₱397

86.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.68

$1.16 ₱72.9

-26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.18

$1.71 ₱107

-2.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.24 ₱14.96

20.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 ¥152

$12.63 ₱792

79.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$0.83 ₱51.8

80.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.31

$0.21 ₱13.14

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.77

$1.95 ₱123

273.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$1.05 ₱66.0

16.19%

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

$19.0K ¥127.0K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-9.60%

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

$17.4K ¥116.0K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

-10.98%

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

$54.0 ¥361

$102 ₱6,427

-47.30%

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

$8.41 ¥56.3

$14.12 ₱886

-40.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.82 ¥72.3

$26.88 ₱1,687

-59.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.41 ¥270

$31.05 ₱1,948

30.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 ¥97.8

$5.88 ₱369

148.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ¥44.12

$5.58 ₱350

18.28%

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

$452 ¥3,020

$142 ₱8,907

218.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ¥128.7K

$5,830 ₱365.8K

229.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 ¥296

$44.37 ₱2,784

-0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 ¥237

$24.29 ₱1,524

45.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥500

$68.2 ₱4,279

9.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 ¥526

$61.5 ₱3,857

27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ¥2,638

$326 ₱20.4K

21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ¥1,628

$182 ₱11.5K

33.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,652

$658 ₱41.3K

28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥3,217

$358 ₱22.5K

34.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,609 ¥30.8K

$3,127 ₱196.2K

47.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 ¥15.6K

$1,454 ₱91.2K

60.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 ¥7,090

$325 ₱20.4K

226.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

7.17

-51.60%

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

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Last update for Philippines: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in China, $250 in Philippines. Capital cities: $985 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $545 in Manila.

National salary averages: $867 in China, $292 in Philippines. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in China.

Dining out costs 17% more in China.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 197% 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 $837 per month in China and $800 in Philippines, there's a 5% 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.