Cost of living comparison
compared to
China vs. Philippines Cost of Living Summary
China is 27.3% more expensive than Philippines overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 7.5% less in China
- Groceries
-
pay 20.7% less in China
- Transportation
-
pay 21.3% more in China
- Housing
-
pay 17.0% less in China
- Childcare
-
pay 2.9 times more in China
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 16.1% more in China
- Clothing
-
pay 11.3% more in China
The cost of childcare, transportation, entertainment and sports, and clothing in China are more expensive than in Philippines. Expenses including groceries, housing, and restaurants are lower in China. Notably, childcare is significantly more expensive in China.
China vs. Philippines Cost Breakdown
If you lived in China instead of Philippines, you would:
pay 7.5% less for restaurants
|
Philippines
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$3.83
₱224.67
|
$2.90
CN¥20.50
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$3.27
₱191.88
|
$5.02
CN¥35.49
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$0.69
₱40.61
|
$0.47
CN¥3.36
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$0.38
₱22.28
|
$0.28
CN¥1.96
|
|
Philippines vs. China - Cost of restaurants
pay 20.7% less for groceries
|
Philippines
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$1.24
₱72.81
|
$1.63
CN¥11.52
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$3.91
₱228.99
|
$6.32
CN¥44.71
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$7.02
₱411.39
|
$6.70
CN¥47.44
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$2.06
₱120.55
|
$1.56
CN¥11.05
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$1.91
₱112.14
|
$1.52
CN¥10.78
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$1.42
₱83.20
|
$0.74
CN¥5.25
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.65
₱37.83
|
$0.55
CN¥3.86
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.17
₱68.55
|
$0.62
CN¥4.41
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$0.69
₱40.60
|
$0.50
CN¥3.57
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$0.95
₱55.60
|
$0.30
CN¥2.13
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.17
₱68.70
|
$0.39
CN¥2.79
|
|
Philippines vs. China - Cost of groceries
pay 21.3% more for transportation
|
Philippines
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$4.15
₱243.11
|
$4.34
CN¥30.68
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$12.67
₱742.62
|
$20.32
CN¥143.78
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$24,414.32
₱1,431,533.67
|
$19,143.98
CN¥135,449.43
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$2.78
₱162.89
|
$3.94
CN¥27.89
|
|
Philippines vs. China - Cost of transportation
pay 17.0% less for housing
|
Philippines
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$27.95
₱1,638.62
|
$11.18
CN¥79.08
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$254.21
₱14,905.35
|
$304.90
CN¥2,157.22
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$161.64
₱9,477.69
|
$195.65
CN¥1,384.25
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$80.13
₱4,698.13
|
$41.04
CN¥290.39
|
|
Philippines vs. China - Cost of housing
pay 2.9 times more for childcare
|
Philippines
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$130.02
₱7,623.63
|
$390.25
CN¥2,761.13
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$5,634.78
₱330,395.39
|
$15,493.57
CN¥109,621.66
|
|
Philippines vs. China - Cost of childcare
pay 16.1% more for entertainment and sports
|
Philippines
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$1.20
₱70.27
|
$1.04
CN¥7.37
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$2.17
₱127.27
|
$2.84
CN¥20.07
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$2.73
₱159.93
|
$3.36
CN¥23.77
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$30.80
₱1,805.83
|
$41.13
CN¥290.99
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$5.63
₱329.85
|
$5.98
CN¥42.33
|
|
Philippines vs. China - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 11.3% more for clothing
|
Philippines
|
China
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$41.17
₱2,413.97
|
$45.93
CN¥324.95
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$25.58
₱1,499.85
|
$30.93
CN¥218.85
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$69.76
₱4,090.59
|
$71.26
CN¥504.18
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$65.98
₱3,868.53
|
$72.88
CN¥515.65
|
|
Philippines vs. China - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you.
We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world.
Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: December 2025
Change currency:
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate.
Learn more
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about China or Philippines. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.