Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Sao Tome And Principe Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Sao Tome And Principe

Name: Sao Tome And Principe
Address: ST

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $648 in Sao Tome And Principe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $1,129 in Sao Tome And Principe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $1,609 in Sao Tome And Principe.

Living in China is roughly 10% more expensive than Sao Tome And Principe on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Sao Tome And Principe 52% lower.

China ($520–$1,209) and Sao Tome And Principe ($209–$1,087) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥18.98

$20.34 STN 427

-86.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$42.40 STN 890

-45.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.87

$9.95 STN 209

-49.65%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.38

$1.98 STN 41.55

52.02%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$1.93 STN 40.45

-76.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$1.04 STN 21.79

-72.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.41

$1.62 STN 34.00

-41.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.87

$1.84 STN 38.62

11.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.87

$1.38 STN 29.07

27.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.98

$1.54 STN 32.38

5.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$1.85 STN 38.82

-48.65%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.55

$4.37 STN 91.9

-64.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$19.68 STN 413

-33.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.17

$20.28 STN 426

-83.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.0

$25.30 STN 531

-57.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$4.52 STN 94.9

-60.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.42

$1.14 STN 23.96

8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.12

$3.95 STN 83.0

-62.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$3.52 STN 74.0

-67.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.07

$2.53 STN 53.2

-70.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$1.99 STN 41.76

-56.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.72 STN 15.17

-13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$1.91 STN 40.15

-70.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.76

$2.35 STN 49.26

49.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$8.19 STN 172

42.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.28 STN 26.84

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.25

$1.33 STN 27.86

24.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$1.26 STN 26.43

-65.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.82

$14.25 STN 299

-53.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.63 STN 34.15

-30.06%

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

$19.2K ¥129.7K

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

$16.8K ¥113.4K

$23.1K STN 484.8K

-27.37%

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

$51.2 ¥346

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

$10.16 ¥68.7

$28.67 STN 602

-64.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$72.6 STN 1,524

-84.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$37.58 STN 789

7.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$28.44 STN 597

-47.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.26

$20.62 STN 433

-70.42%

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

$402 ¥2,719

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$19.10 STN 401

289.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,903

$266 STN 5,579

61.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,739

$192 STN 4,025

34.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,055

$671 STN 14.1K

33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,660

$512 STN 10.7K

5.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$1,937 STN 40.7K

158.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$1,177 STN 24.7K

109.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,132

$457 STN 9,595

130.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

7.38

-44.99%

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

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $171 in Sao Tome And Principe. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $342 in Sao Tome.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $272 in Sao Tome And Principe. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in China.

Dining out costs 105% more in Sao Tome And Principe.

Salaries are 217% 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 Sao Tome And Principe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $648 in Sao Tome And Principe, there's a 33% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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

In Sao Tome And Principe, $1,500 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. Sao Tome And Principe wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.