Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albay and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $729 a month against $943 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$729

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albay 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 Albay and in Manila actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $729 in Albay versus $943 in Manila.

Albay $729
Manila $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,108 in Albay versus $1,505 in Manila.

Albay $1,108
Manila $1,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,487 in Albay versus $2,067 in Manila.

Albay $1,487
Manila $2,067

Living in Albay costs roughly 23% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Albay 46% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ₱242

$5.54 ₱354

-31.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.81 ₱1,074

$27.42 ₱1,753

-38.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱180

$3.96 ₱253

-28.79%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱140

$2.47 ₱158

-11.34%

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

$0.63 ₱40.22

$1.38 ₱88.3

-54.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.13

$0.83 ₱53.0

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ₱71.7

$1.17 ₱74.8

-4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$2.34 ₱149

-14.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱103

$1.88 ₱120

-14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.8

$1.43 ₱91.2

-21.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱61.4

$0.97 ₱62.3

-1.03%

Eggs

$1.88 ₱120

$2.29 ₱146

-17.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.70 ₱365

$7.53 ₱481

-24.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱269

$4.75 ₱303

-11.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.95 ₱445

$6.77 ₱433

2.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ₱149

$3.35 ₱214

-30.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱99.7

$1.84 ₱118

-15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱155

$3.02 ₱193

-19.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱75.1

$1.83 ₱117

-36.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₱123

$2.23 ₱143

-13.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 ₱125

$2.59 ₱166

-24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ₱62.4

$2.10 ₱134

-53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.46

$0.59 ₱37.80

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ₱186

$3.12 ₱200

-7.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₱491

$9.49 ₱607

-18.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.4

$1.31 ₱84.0

-26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱125

$2.01 ₱128

-2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.19

$0.46 ₱29.67

-47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.21 ₱717

$12.78 ₱817

-12.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.17

$0.77 ₱49.14

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.23 ₱14.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.85 ₱118

4.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱79.1

$1.29 ₱82.2

-3.88%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-1.77%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.73%

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

$124 ₱7,929

$125 ₱7,972

-0.52%

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

$15.06 ₱963

$15.84 ₱1,013

-4.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 ₱1,578

$24.01 ₱1,535

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 ₱2,093

$41.84 ₱2,675

-21.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.58 ₱293

$5.89 ₱377

-22.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 ₱335

$6.62 ₱423

-20.85%

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

$131 ₱8,392

$612 ₱39.2K

-78.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,896 ₱504.8K

$8,736 ₱558.5K

-9.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.24 ₱2,125

$58.1 ₱3,711

-42.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.61 ₱1,254

$27.80 ₱1,777

-29.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 ₱4,500

$76.9 ₱4,914

-8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 ₱3,596

$56.5 ₱3,611

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₱16.7K

$538 ₱34.4K

-51.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.9K

$285 ₱18.2K

-40.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 ₱32.7K

$1,933 ₱123.6K

-73.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₱22.5K

$662 ₱42.3K

-46.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,446 ₱156.4K

$4,397 ₱281.1K

-44.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$974 ₱62.3K

$2,461 ₱157.3K

-60.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 ₱10.3K

$478 ₱30.5K

-66.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.43

-8.61%

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

Last update for Albay: October 18, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Albay

$178 24.5%

Manila

$219 23.2% 22.6% $40

Accommodation & Living

Albay

$170 23.3%

Manila

$285 30.2% 67.4% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albay

$164 22.5%

Manila

$165 17.4% 0.5% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Albay

$81 11.1%

Manila

$99 10.5% 22.1% $18

Eating Out

Albay

$78 10.8%

Manila

$105 11.2% 34.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Albay

$43 5.9%

Manila

$55 5.8% 27.4% $12

Getting Around

Albay

$14 1.9%

Manila

$17 1.8% 17.9% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Albay and $538 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Albay vs $27 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $219 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Albay

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

Same time as Albay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,481

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.39 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Albay vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albay and Manila differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($729 vs $943 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Albay. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $261 in Albay versus $538 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17 versus $27 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Albay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.