Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iloilo and Changzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $686 a month against $741 in Changzhou, rent and utilities included – about $660 less a year. The total is higher in Changzhou despite lower rent and utilities.

Iloilo
🇵🇭 Philippines
$686
/mo nomad
Changzhou
🇨🇳 China
$741
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iloilo and in Changzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $686 in Iloilo versus $741 in Changzhou.

  • Iloilo $686
  • Changzhou $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,038 in Iloilo versus $1,217 in Changzhou.

  • Iloilo $1,038
  • Changzhou $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,390 in Iloilo versus $1,694 in Changzhou.

  • Iloilo $1,390
  • Changzhou $1,694

Living in Iloilo costs roughly 7% less than in Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iloilo 49% lower, Changzhou 45% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iloilo
Changzhou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.72 ₱171
$2.92 ¥19.50
-6.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.73 ₱1,179
$28.54 ¥191
-34.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.23 ₱203
$4.51 ¥30.16
-28.38%
Cappuccino
$2.02 ₱127
$2.22 ¥14.82
-9.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.83
$0.38 ¥2.55
65.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₱19.48
$0.23 ¥1.53
34.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.10 ₱69.0
$0.62 ¥4.15
77.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₱109
$1.45 ¥9.69
20.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iloilo
Changzhou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ₱105
$1.86 ¥12.47
-10.75%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 ₱73.3
$1.28 ¥8.59
-9.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.91 ₱57.5
$1.00 ¥6.65
-9.00%
Eggs
$2.02 ₱127
$1.72 ¥11.53
17.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.02 ₱379
$7.41 ¥49.53
-18.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.11 ₱259
$2.82 ¥18.85
45.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.09 ₱383
$12.35 ¥82.6
-50.69%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱208
$2.16 ¥14.44
53.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 ₱68.1
$1.73 ¥11.58
-37.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 ₱186
$1.97 ¥13.14
49.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.43 ₱90.1
$1.04 ¥6.96
37.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.29 ₱144
$0.77 ¥5.13
197.40%
Onion (1kg)
$2.72 ₱171
$0.99 ¥6.63
174.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 ₱91.6
$0.39 ¥2.60
271.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ₱52.6
$0.62 ¥4.18
35.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.97 ₱187
$3.29 ¥22.03
-9.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.35 ₱400
$10.58 ¥70.8
-39.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 ₱69.2
$0.82 ¥5.48
34.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 ₱78.7
$1.56 ¥10.45
-19.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Iloilo
Changzhou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱13.83
$0.33 ¥2.20
-33.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.68 ₱294
$14.32 ¥95.8
-67.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.78 ₱48.87
$1.51 ¥10.09
-48.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 ₱21.29
$0.31 ¥2.08
9.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.44 ₱153
$2.93 ¥19.57
-16.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 ₱76.4
$1.31 ¥8.74
-7.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₱1.4M
$17.1K ¥114.1K
26.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K ₱1.2M
$13.8K ¥92.3K
41.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iloilo
Changzhou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.7 ₱3,947
$57.5 ¥385
9.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.43 ₱594
$8.13 ¥54.3
15.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.38 ₱1,724
$10.66 ¥71.3
156.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iloilo
Changzhou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$9.34 ₱588
$40.60 ¥271
-77.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$14.75 ¥98.6
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.89 ₱308
$4.57 ¥30.53
7.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iloilo
Changzhou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$32.47 ₱2,044
$251 ¥1,681
-87.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$15.1K ¥101.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iloilo
Changzhou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.44 ₱1,476
$55.3 ¥370
-57.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.15 ₱1,080
$22.58 ¥151
-24.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.7 ₱3,570
$76.0 ¥508
-25.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$23.75 ₱1,496
$76.2 ¥510
-68.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iloilo
Changzhou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$306 ₱19.3K
$285 ¥1,908
7.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$249 ₱15.7K
$229 ¥1,529
8.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,175 ₱74.0K
$917 ¥6,132
28.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$437 ₱27.5K
$495 ¥3,311
-11.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,747 ₱235.9K
$2,942 ¥19.7K
27.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,026 ₱64.6K
$1,613 ¥10.8K
-36.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iloilo
Changzhou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$201 ₱12.7K
$1,067 ¥7,131
-81.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.33
3.35
118.81%

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

Last update for Iloilo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Iloilo
$249
Changzhou
$229 8.2% $20
Groceries & Markets
Iloilo
$188
Changzhou
$192 2.1% $4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iloilo
$100
Changzhou
$76 23.3% $23
Eating Out
Iloilo
$68
Changzhou
$72 5.1% $3.5
Clothing & Footwear
Iloilo
$54
Changzhou
$104 90.1% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Iloilo
$19
Changzhou
$50 160% $31
Getting Around
Iloilo
$8
Changzhou
$19 133% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $306 in Iloilo and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changzhou pays 430% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Iloilo vs $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $192 per month, with Iloilo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Iloilo
🇨🇳 Changzhou
🕒 Local time
12:27 12:27 PM
12:27 12:27 PM
Same time as Iloilo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
457,626
5,278,121
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Iloilo Changzhou 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Iloilo
  • Changzhou

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
Iloilo vs Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Changzhou cheaper than Iloilo?
Iloilo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Iloilo or Changzhou?
On paper, salaries run 430% lower in Changzhou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Iloilo and Changzhou?
Rent for a central apartment: $306 in Iloilo versus $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Iloilo and in Changzhou?
Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Changzhou. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Iloilo or in Changzhou?
Dining out is cheaper in Iloilo – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $29.00 in Changzhou. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 enough for either Iloilo or Changzhou?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Iloilo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Iloilo or Changzhou more family-friendly?
For families, Iloilo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Changzhou, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Iloilo or Changzhou?
Safety-wise, Iloilo and Changzhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Iloilo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Changzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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