Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panglao and Zhuhai

For one person, living costs are similar in Panglao and in Zhuhai: $795 and $787 a month, rent and utilities included.

Panglao, Philippines
Zhuhai, China
Panglao
🇵🇭 Philippines
$795
/mo nomad
Zhuhai
🇨🇳 China
$787
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panglao and in Zhuhai

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

A single person spends $795 per month in Panglao vs $787 in Zhuhai, rent included.

  • Panglao $795
  • Zhuhai $787

A couple spends around $1,113 per month in Panglao vs $1,308 in Zhuhai, rent included.

  • Panglao $1,113
  • Zhuhai $1,308

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Panglao vs $1,828 in Zhuhai, rent included.

  • Panglao $1,431
  • Zhuhai $1,828

Panglao and Zhuhai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Panglao and Zhuhai are more affordable than the global median – Panglao 41% lower, Zhuhai 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Panglao
Zhuhai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.89 ₱245
$2.74 ¥18.27
41.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.45 ₱1,476
$30.04 ¥200
-21.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.93 ₱247
$5.23 ¥34.81
-24.86%
Cappuccino
$2.14 ₱135
$3.19 ¥21.21
-32.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ₱43.43
$0.50 ¥3.34
38.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ₱29.58
$0.32 ¥2.16
46.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.54 ₱96.8
$1.23 ¥8.16
25.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 ₱116
$2.16 ¥14.38
-14.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Panglao
Zhuhai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ₱99.4
$1.58 ¥10.49
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 ₱68.7
$1.31 ¥8.69
-16.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.92 ₱58.0
$1.14 ¥7.59
-19.30%
Eggs
$1.69 ₱106
$1.64 ¥10.89
3.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.73 ₱298
$4.30 ¥28.61
10.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.52 ₱284
$2.29 ¥15.22
97.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.65 ₱482
$3.87 ¥25.76
97.67%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₱120
$1.31 ¥8.69
45.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 ₱82.7
$0.58 ¥3.83
125.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 ₱122
$0.44 ¥2.91
340.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ₱94.0
$1.47 ¥9.78
1.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 ₱145
$0.73 ¥4.88
215.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 ₱119
$0.47 ¥3.11
302.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ₱67.3
$0.29 ¥1.91
268.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 ₱28.64
$0.44 ¥2.93
4.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.89 ₱182
$2.95 ¥19.63
-2.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.73 ₱360
$3.72 ¥24.80
54.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 ₱50.1
$0.58 ¥3.88
37.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 ₱97.4
$1.78 ¥11.86
-12.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Panglao
Zhuhai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱13.78
$0.15 ¥0.98
46.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.47 ₱785
$9.11 ¥60.7
36.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₱46.38
$1.47 ¥9.79
-49.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.88
$0.38 ¥2.51
-42.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 ₱117
$7.24 ¥48.20
-74.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 ₱59.2
$1.25 ¥8.32
-24.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ₱1.3M
$15.5K ¥103.2K
35.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$13.6K ¥90.7K
40.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Panglao
Zhuhai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.2 ₱3,665
$57.0 ¥380
2.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.53 ₱411
$9.84 ¥65.5
-33.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.87 ₱1,502
$16.64 ¥111
43.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Panglao
Zhuhai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.83 ₱1,311
$82.8 ¥551
-74.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.16 ₱325
$32.05 ¥213
-83.90%
Cinema Ticket
$3.92 ₱247
$7.63 ¥50.8
-48.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Panglao
Zhuhai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$132 ₱8,314
$525 ¥3,493
-74.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,973 ₱501.9K
$40.3K ¥268.3K
-80.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Panglao
Zhuhai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.20 ₱2,027
$29.72 ¥198
8.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.54 ₱1,230
$40.26 ¥268
-51.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.0 ₱4,153
$73.5 ¥489
-10.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.55 ₱2,930
$82.6 ¥550
-43.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Panglao
Zhuhai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$279 ₱17.5K
$438 ¥2,917
-36.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$336 ₱21.1K
$283 ¥1,881
18.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$541 ₱34.0K
$905 ¥6,024
-40.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$396 ₱25.0K
$655 ¥4,358
-39.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$933 ₱58.7K
$4,619 ¥30.8K
-79.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,091 ₱68.6K
$2,911 ¥19.4K
-62.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Panglao
Zhuhai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,072 ¥7,134
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
3.36
114.29%

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

Last update for Panglao: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Panglao
$336
Zhuhai
$283 15.9% $53
Groceries & Markets
Panglao
$168
Zhuhai
$118 29.7% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Panglao
$89
Zhuhai
$83 5.8% $5.1
Eating Out
Panglao
$85
Zhuhai
$90 5.8% $5
Clothing & Footwear
Panglao
$74
Zhuhai
$102 37.6% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Panglao
$29
Zhuhai
$98 242% $69
Getting Around
Panglao
$15
Zhuhai
$13 14% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in Panglao versus $438 in Zhuhai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Panglao versus $30 in Zhuhai. Groceries tell a different story – $168 in Panglao vs $118 in Zhuhai – so Zhuhai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Panglao
🇨🇳 Zhuhai
🕒 Local time
07:38 7:38 AM
07:38 7:38 AM
Same time as Panglao
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
39,839
2,207,090
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 62.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.66 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.47 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Panglao Zhuhai 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Panglao
  • Zhuhai

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
Panglao vs Zhuhai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Panglao and in Zhuhai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,193 per month in Panglao and $1,180 in Zhuhai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Panglao or Zhuhai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Panglao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $279 there versus $438 in Zhuhai.
Are groceries more expensive in Panglao or in Zhuhai?
Groceries cost about 42% more in Panglao, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do childcare costs compare in Panglao and in Zhuhai?
Kindergarten costs $132 per month in Panglao and $525 in Zhuhai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Panglao or Zhuhai?
It depends on your priorities. Panglao has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $787 in Zhuhai to $795 in Panglao. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Panglao vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?