Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alabang and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Alabang: $721 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Alabang
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Alabang Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Alabang

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alabang and in Manila

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

A single person spends $721 per month in Alabang vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Alabang $721
Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,098 per month in Alabang vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Alabang $1,098
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,475 per month in Alabang vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Alabang $1,475
Manila $2,199

Alabang is about 24% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alabang and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Alabang 47% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 ₱257

$5.34 ₱341

-24.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.49 ₱1,181

$26.46 ₱1,691

-30.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.78 ₱178

$3.93 ₱251

-29.26%

Cappuccino

$2.37 ₱152

$2.53 ₱162

-6.32%

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

$0.68 ₱43.36

$1.35 ₱86.2

-49.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.58

$0.82 ₱52.2

-62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$1.14 ₱72.8

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₱118

$2.38 ₱152

-22.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱102

$1.91 ₱122

-16.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱73.0

$1.44 ₱92.1

-20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱53.8

$0.94 ₱60.3

-10.64%

Eggs

$1.78 ₱113

$2.30 ₱147

-22.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 ₱315

$7.41 ₱473

-33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ₱221

$4.61 ₱295

-24.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.09 ₱453

$6.65 ₱425

6.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₱141

$3.29 ₱211

-33.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ₱90.0

$1.80 ₱115

-21.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱151

$3.00 ₱192

-21.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.4

$1.76 ₱112

-42.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.22 ₱142

-22.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 ₱107

$2.66 ₱170

-37.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₱41.21

$2.14 ₱137

-70.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.29

$0.53 ₱34.12

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱180

$3.06 ₱196

-7.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 ₱465

$9.57 ₱611

-24.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.6

$1.30 ₱83.3

-31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₱116

$1.99 ₱127

-9.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.65

$0.40 ₱25.83

-35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.17 ₱714

$12.75 ₱815

-12.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.5

$0.72 ₱45.97

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.23 ₱14.72

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.84 ₱117

3.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₱77.5

$1.27 ₱81.0

-4.72%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

2.98%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.33%

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

$138 ₱8,797

$120 ₱7,641

15.13%

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

$13.99 ₱894

$15.69 ₱1,003

-10.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.79 ₱1,456

$23.60 ₱1,508

-3.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.60 ₱1,955

$42.57 ₱2,720

-28.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.61 ₱295

$5.65 ₱361

-18.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 ₱331

$6.50 ₱415

-20.15%

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

$70.7 ₱4,518

$599 ₱38.3K

-88.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,479 ₱158.4K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

-71.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.26 ₱1,806

$56.7 ₱3,621

-50.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.00 ₱1,214

$27.40 ₱1,751

-30.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 ₱4,458

$76.4 ₱4,878

-8.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.3 ₱3,469

$55.5 ₱3,546

-2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$221 ₱14.1K

$526 ₱33.6K

-58.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.7K

$297 ₱19.0K

-43.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₱31.3K

$1,887 ₱120.5K

-74.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.8K

$816 ₱52.1K

-56.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,524 ₱161.3K

$3,968 ₱253.5K

-36.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,227 ₱78.4K

$2,366 ₱151.2K

-48.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.43

-9.15%

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

Last update for Alabang: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alabang

$174 24.2%

Manila

$159 16.8% 8.9% $16

Accommodation & Living

Alabang

$168 23.2%

Manila

$297 31.4% 77.1% $129

Groceries & Markets

Alabang

$165 22.9%

Manila

$216 22.9% 31% $51

Eating Out

Alabang

$82 11.3%

Manila

$104 11% 27.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Alabang

$77 10.7%

Manila

$97 10.3% 26% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Alabang

$41 5.7%

Manila

$56 5.9% 35.6% $15

Getting Around

Alabang

$14 2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 15.4% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $221 in Alabang versus $526 in Manila. 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 $18 in Alabang versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $165 vs $216 – making Alabang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Alabang

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

Same time as Alabang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,075

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Alabang Manila 20 km

From you

Alabang
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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

Alabang vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,081 per month in Alabang and $1,418 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alabang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $526 in Manila.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Manila, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Alabang and $26 in Manila. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Alabang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

For expats, Alabang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 31% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.