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: $720 in China versus $732 in Sao Tome And Principe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $1,200 in Sao Tome And Principe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $1,668 in Sao Tome And Principe.

Living in China costs about 2% less than in Sao Tome And Principe on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Sao Tome And Principe 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sao Tome And Principe: monthly costs span $208 to $1,257, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sao Tome And Principe.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$9.04 STN 191

-67.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$46.59 STN 983

-51.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$8.99 STN 190

-43.60%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$2.42 STN 51.0

21.49%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$1.81 STN 38.16

-73.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$1.12 STN 23.55

-73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$1.84 STN 38.79

-42.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$1.94 STN 40.91

15.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.59 STN 33.45

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$1.57 STN 33.23

8.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$2.02 STN 42.58

-52.48%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$4.68 STN 98.7

-65.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$19.88 STN 419

-31.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$20.46 STN 432

-83.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$22.06 STN 465

-49.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$3.94 STN 83.2

-54.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$1.77 STN 37.26

-26.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$3.75 STN 79.1

-60.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$3.50 STN 73.8

-62.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$2.95 STN 62.2

-75.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$2.52 STN 53.1

-62.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$0.52 STN 10.87

17.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$2.14 STN 45.24

-73.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$2.34 STN 49.44

56.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$8.44 STN 178

41.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.50 STN 31.74

-44.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$1.69 STN 35.61

-2.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.41 STN 29.67

-79.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$1.77 STN 37.26

-18.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$2.73 STN 57.7

-87.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$14.20 STN 300

-48.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.78 STN 37.59

-30.90%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$26.0K STN 549.0K

-24.90%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$32.5K STN 685.5K

-46.91%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$241 STN 5,090

-77.01%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$33.16 STN 700

-74.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$69.4 STN 1,463

-84.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$34.80 STN 734

15.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$26.33 STN 556

-43.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$20.84 STN 440

-67.71%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$241 STN 5,094

88.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$2,256 STN 47.6K

765.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$76.5 STN 1,613

-53.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$18.83 STN 397

310.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$291 STN 6,132

32.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$204 STN 4,297

18.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$984 STN 20.8K

-15.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$468 STN 9,865

1.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$1,886 STN 39.8K

144.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$1,206 STN 25.5K

92.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$459 STN 9,682

131.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

7.38

-52.98%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $147 in Sao Tome And Principe. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $293 in Sao Tome.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $273 in Sao Tome And Principe. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 101% higher in China.

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

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

At $852 per month in China and $733 in Sao Tome And Principe, there's a 16% 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 Sao Tome And Principe: 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 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 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: 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.