Cost of Living Comparison Between Philippines and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Philippines and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $760 in Philippines versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Philippines versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in Philippines versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Philippines is roughly 7% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Philippines 43% lower, China 47% lower.

Philippines ($485–$1,204) and China ($525–$1,220) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 ₱243

$2.75 ¥18.83

44.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.69 ₱1,327

$24.03 ¥165

-9.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.56 ₱218

$4.96 ¥33.95

-28.23%

Cappuccino

$2.39 ₱146

$3.12 ¥21.37

-23.40%

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

$0.77 ₱47.13

$0.48 ¥3.26

60.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱25.64

$0.27 ¥1.84

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₱83.6

$0.98 ¥6.73

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₱127

$2.15 ¥14.69

-3.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ₱110

$1.83 ¥12.53

-2.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ₱79.7

$1.68 ¥11.54

-22.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱59.1

$0.91 ¥6.21

6.59%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱126

$1.56 ¥10.66

32.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 ₱492

$12.97 ¥88.9

-38.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.47 ₱273

$3.25 ¥22.23

37.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 ₱461

$10.51 ¥72.0

-28.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 ₱183

$1.81 ¥12.41

65.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 ₱91.0

$1.30 ¥8.90

14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 ₱162

$1.50 ¥10.26

76.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ₱99.9

$1.15 ¥7.87

41.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 ₱139

$0.76 ¥5.20

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 ₱155

$0.89 ¥6.07

184.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ₱85.6

$0.58 ¥3.97

141.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱45.98

$0.58 ¥3.95

29.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₱182

$3.50 ¥23.95

-14.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 ₱396

$11.55 ¥79.1

-43.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₱72.6

$0.78 ¥5.31

52.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱118

$1.61 ¥11.03

19.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.76

$0.44 ¥3.01

-40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.61 ₱649

$21.15 ¥145

-49.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱50.8

$1.36 ¥9.35

-38.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₱16.57

$0.36 ¥2.44

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ₱159

$6.61 ¥45.28

-60.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₱68.4

$1.13 ¥7.74

-0.88%

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

$22.9K ₱1.4M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

16.23%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

25.13%

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

$109 ₱6,653

$50.9 ¥349

113.61%

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

$28.39 ₱1,737

$10.03 ¥68.7

183.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.74 ₱1,820

$11.33 ¥77.6

162.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.01 ₱1,958

$40.13 ¥275

-20.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.45 ₱333

$14.97 ¥103

-63.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ₱381

$6.09 ¥41.74

2.13%

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

$108 ₱6,633

$418 ¥2,860

-74.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,348 ₱266.0K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-74.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.72 ₱2,797

$46.40 ¥318

-1.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.51 ₱1,561

$32.92 ¥226

-22.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 ₱4,479

$71.1 ¥487

2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.3 ₱3,936

$72.9 ¥499

-11.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 ₱19.5K

$438 ¥3,003

-27.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ₱11.0K

$259 ¥1,775

-30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 ₱40.2K

$926 ¥6,341

-28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱21.6K

$548 ¥3,754

-35.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,984 ₱182.6K

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-40.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,348 ₱82.4K

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-49.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$334 ₱20.4K

$1,074 ¥7,357

-68.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.22

4.06

77.83%

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

Last update for Philippines: April 26, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $258 in Philippines, $286 in China. Capital cities: $489 in Manila vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $292 in Philippines, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11% higher in China.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 186% 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

Philippines vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $845 in Philippines, there's a 3% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Philippines 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 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 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. Philippines wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.