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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $643 in Sao Tome And Principe versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,135 in Sao Tome And Principe versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,627 in Sao Tome And Principe versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Sao Tome And Principe costs about 10% less than in China on average.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Sao Tome And Principe: monthly costs span $205 to $1,081, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sao Tome And Principe.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 STN 428

$2.86 ¥19.35

598.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.33 STN 927

$23.44 ¥159

84.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 STN 204

$4.84 ¥32.75

97.31%

Cappuccino

$2.00 STN 42.80

$3.11 ¥21.06

-35.69%

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

$1.88 STN 40.30

$0.44 ¥3.00

327.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 STN 22.14

$0.29 ¥1.99

255.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 STN 35.03

$0.98 ¥6.64

67.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 STN 39.80

$2.05 ¥13.88

-9.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 STN 29.15

$1.84 ¥12.47

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 STN 33.29

$1.62 ¥10.94

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 STN 41.61

$0.93 ¥6.28

108.60%

Eggs

$4.40 STN 94.2

$1.63 ¥11.03

169.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.26 STN 434

$13.15 ¥89.0

54.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.88 STN 425

$3.26 ¥22.09

509.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.18 STN 539

$10.62 ¥71.9

137.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 STN 96.2

$1.80 ¥12.19

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 STN 24.10

$1.30 ¥8.77

-13.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 STN 85.5

$1.46 ¥9.90

173.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 STN 72.9

$1.20 ¥8.15

184.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 STN 56.1

$0.76 ¥5.14

244.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 STN 44.58

$0.88 ¥5.93

136.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 STN 14.31

$0.57 ¥3.86

17.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 STN 42.31

$0.54 ¥3.63

266.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 STN 48.66

$3.42 ¥23.17

-33.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 STN 170

$11.75 ¥79.5

-32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 STN 27.20

$0.80 ¥5.40

58.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 STN 27.52

$1.62 ¥10.95

-20.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 STN 25.77

$0.43 ¥2.94

179.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.24

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.20 STN 304

$6.50 ¥43.97

118.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 STN 36.28

$1.12 ¥7.59

51.79%

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

$19.5K ¥131.8K

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

$23.3K STN 498.9K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

38.27%

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

$51.7 ¥350

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

$28.12 STN 602

$10.17 ¥68.8

176.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 STN 1,512

$11.16 ¥75.5

532.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 STN 780

$39.62 ¥268

-8.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 STN 629

$14.53 ¥98.3

102.13%

Cinema Ticket

$20.81 STN 445

$6.38 ¥43.19

226.18%

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

$407 ¥2,756

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥219

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.70 STN 400

$74.4 ¥504

-74.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 STN 5,889

$443 ¥2,996

-37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 STN 4,014

$258 ¥1,747

-27.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 STN 14.1K

$910 ¥6,162

-27.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 STN 11.3K

$543 ¥3,677

-2.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,889 STN 40.4K

$4,934 ¥33.4K

-61.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,170 STN 25.0K

$2,398 ¥16.2K

-51.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 STN 9,462

$1,065 ¥7,205

-58.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

4.06

81.77%

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

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: July 12, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $177 in Sao Tome And Principe, $287 in China. Capital cities: $353 in Sao Tome vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $265 in Sao Tome And Principe, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 62% higher in China.

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

Salaries are 223% 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

Sao Tome And Principe vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $643 in Sao Tome And Principe, there's a 34% 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.