Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacolod and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $607 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bacolod
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Bacolod Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Bacolod

🇵🇭 Philippines

$607

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Bacolod vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Bacolod $607
Manila $948

A couple spends around $885 per month in Bacolod vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Bacolod $885
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,162 per month in Bacolod vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Bacolod $1,162
Manila $2,068

Bacolod is about 36% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bacolod and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Bacolod 55% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 ₱147

$5.46 ₱344

-57.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 ₱810

$26.93 ₱1,695

-52.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 ₱254

$3.90 ₱246

3.33%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱155

$2.62 ₱165

-6.11%

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

$0.70 ₱43.96

$1.36 ₱85.5

-48.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.61

$0.83 ₱52.3

-54.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$1.22 ₱76.9

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.32 ₱146

-23.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.96 ₱123

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.2

$1.42 ₱89.1

-18.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.0

$1.04 ₱65.4

-8.65%

Eggs

$1.66 ₱105

$2.23 ₱140

-25.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 ₱561

$7.70 ₱485

15.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 ₱437

$4.91 ₱309

41.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ₱212

$3.23 ₱204

4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$1.92 ₱121

26.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₱33.60

$1.79 ₱113

-70.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ₱126

$2.73 ₱172

-26.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₱64.8

$0.59 ₱37.25

74.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 ₱175

$3.18 ₱200

-12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.4

$1.34 ₱84.1

-32.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₱11.18

$0.47 ₱29.47

-61.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₱38.66

$0.73 ₱46.07

-16.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.5

$1.28 ₱80.6

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

$22.1K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

3.24%

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

$24.0K ₱1.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

24.32%

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

$137 ₱8,646

$124 ₱7,822

10.54%

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

$7.99 ₱503

$15.73 ₱990

-49.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 ₱1,776

$24.40 ₱1,536

15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.87 ₱999

$43.31 ₱2,727

-63.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.44 ₱153

$5.79 ₱365

-57.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 ₱275

$6.76 ₱425

-35.36%

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

$31.23 ₱1,966

$630 ₱39.7K

-95.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,668

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₱16.8K

$536 ₱33.8K

-50.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₱11.2K

$284 ₱17.9K

-37.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ₱29.9K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-74.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ₱21.8K

$654 ₱41.2K

-47.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 ₱13.0K

$467 ₱29.4K

-55.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

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

Last update for Bacolod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bacolod

$178 29.4%

Manila

$284 29.9% 59.1% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacolod

$174 28.6%

Manila

$164 17.3% 5.3% $9.2

Groceries & Markets

Bacolod

$155 * 25.5%

Manila

$222 23.5% 43.9% $68

Eating Out

Bacolod

$75 12.4%

Manila

$106 11.2% 41.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Bacolod

$25 4.1%

Manila

$57 6% 131% $32

Getting Around

Bacolod

$1.3 * 0.2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 1128% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Bacolod

- * 0%

Manila

$98 10.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Bacolod versus $536 in Manila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 126% higher in Manila, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $222 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bacolod

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

Same time as Bacolod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

561,875

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bacolod Manila 480 km

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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

Bacolod vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $607 in Bacolod, $948 in Manila – roughly 56% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Bacolod and $1,422 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacolod, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod and $27.00 in Manila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Manila at $948. In Bacolod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in Bacolod to $948 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Bacolod. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.