Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhuhai and Panglao

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $784 a month against $812 in Panglao, rent and utilities included – about $340 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Panglao outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
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Zhuhai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Panglao
Learn more

Panglao Living Index

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Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$784

/mo nomad

Panglao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zhuhai and in Panglao

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

A single person spends $784 per month in Zhuhai vs $812 in Panglao, rent included.

Zhuhai $784
Panglao $812

A couple spends around $1,305 per month in Zhuhai vs $1,136 in Panglao, rent included.

Zhuhai $1,305
Panglao $1,136

A family of three spends $1,825 per month in Zhuhai vs $1,459 in Panglao, rent included.

Zhuhai $1,825
Panglao $1,459

Zhuhai is about 3% cheaper than Panglao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zhuhai and Panglao are more affordable than the global median – Zhuhai 42% lower, Panglao 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.64 ¥17.56

$4.01 ₱255

-34.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.28 ¥201

$23.88 ₱1,522

26.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥34.65

$3.98 ₱254

31.16%

Cappuccino

$3.15 ¥20.91

$2.14 ₱136

47.20%

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

$0.50 ¥3.33

$0.67 ₱42.42

-25.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.16

$0.49 ₱31.23

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$1.58 ₱101

-25.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥14.95

$1.93 ₱123

16.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.61

$1.59 ₱101

0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥8.65

$1.15 ₱73.0

13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.51

$0.91 ₱57.8

24.18%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.20

$1.76 ₱112

-3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 ¥28.74

$8.47 ₱539

-48.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 ¥14.67

$4.38 ₱279

-49.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.79 ¥25.16

$7.47 ₱476

-49.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.35

$1.90 ₱121

-33.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.09

$1.31 ₱83.2

-52.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.44 ¥2.91

$1.83 ₱117

-75.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$1.46 ₱92.9

2.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.86

$2.32 ₱148

-68.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ¥3.11

$1.94 ₱124

-75.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.89

$1.05 ₱66.9

-72.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.89

$0.48 ₱30.77

-10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ¥20.45

$2.74 ₱174

12.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.71 ¥24.61

$5.84 ₱372

-36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.91

$0.77 ₱49.09

-23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.50

$1.60 ₱102

8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 ¥0.88

$0.23 ₱14.38

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.75 ¥58.1

$12.86 ₱820

-31.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.68

$0.74 ₱47.38

97.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.50

$0.22 ₱14.04

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.32 ¥48.59

$1.90 ₱121

285.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$0.87 ₱55.7

47.13%

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

$15.6K ¥103.8K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-25.29%

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

$13.6K ¥90.0K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-28.41%

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

$57.5 ¥382

$59.5 ₱3,794

-3.51%

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

$10.13 ¥67.3

$6.58 ₱419

53.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.37 ¥109

$24.44 ₱1,557

-33.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 ¥537

$20.44 ₱1,302

295.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 ¥205

$5.14 ₱327

500.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ¥49.96

$3.95 ₱252

90.38%

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

$540 ¥3,586

$130 ₱8,278

315.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.0K

$7,892 ₱502.9K

210.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.85 ¥198

$32.04 ₱2,042

-6.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 ¥262

$19.50 ₱1,243

102.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥480

$65.3 ₱4,159

10.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 ¥611

$47.78 ₱3,044

92.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ¥2,822

$270 ₱17.2K

57.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥1,861

$338 ₱21.5K

-17.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 ¥6,025

$544 ₱34.7K

66.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ¥4,325

$392 ₱25.0K

65.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,496 ¥29.9K

$958 ₱61.0K

369.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,836 ¥18.8K

$1,130 ₱72.0K

150.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,202

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

7.2

-53.47%

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

Last update for Zhuhai: October 24, 2026

Last update for Panglao: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Zhuhai

$280 35.7%

Panglao

$338 41.6% 20.5% $57

Groceries & Markets

Zhuhai

$118 15.1%

Panglao

$179 22.1% 51.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Zhuhai

$105 13.4%

Panglao

$74 9.1% 29.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Zhuhai

$96 12.2%

Panglao

$28 3.5% 70.5% $68

Eating Out

Zhuhai

$88 11.3%

Panglao

$86 10.6% 2.4% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhuhai

$84 10.7%

Panglao

$91 11.2% 7.9% $6.6

Getting Around

Zhuhai

$13 1.6%

Panglao

$16 1.9% 23.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Zhuhai versus $270 in Panglao. 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 $30 in Zhuhai versus $24 in Panglao. Groceries tell a different story – $118 in Zhuhai vs $179 in Panglao – so Zhuhai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🇵🇭 Panglao

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

Same time as Zhuhai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,207,090

39,839

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zhuhai Panglao 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zhuhai
Panglao

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

Zhuhai vs Panglao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panglao costs about 3% more than Zhuhai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,176 per month in Zhuhai and $1,217 in Panglao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panglao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $270 there versus $425 in Zhuhai.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Panglao, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Zhuhai and $24 in Panglao. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Panglao has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $784 in Zhuhai to $812 in Panglao. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.