Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacong and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacong: $618 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bacong, Philippines
Manila, Philippines
Bacong
🇵🇭 Philippines
$618
/mo nomad
Manila
🇵🇭 Philippines
$922
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $618 per month in Bacong vs $922 in Manila, rent included.

  • Bacong $618
  • Manila $922

A couple spends around $983 per month in Bacong vs $1,531 in Manila, rent included.

  • Bacong $983
  • Manila $1,531

A family of three spends $1,348 per month in Bacong vs $2,140 in Manila, rent included.

  • Bacong $1,348
  • Manila $2,140

Bacong is about 33% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bacong and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Bacong 54% lower, Manila 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bacong
Manila
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.71 ₱172
$4.66 ₱296
-41.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.54 ₱1,179
$26.32 ₱1,673
-29.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.15 ₱200
$4.02 ₱256
-21.64%
Cappuccino
$2.08 ₱132
$2.51 ₱159
-17.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.88
$1.37 ₱87.2
-51.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₱21.29
$0.89 ₱56.5
-62.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.84 ₱53.3
$1.20 ₱76.1
-30.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₱108
$2.34 ₱149
-27.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bacong
Manila
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ₱105
$1.87 ₱119
-12.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 ₱74.4
$1.41 ₱89.6
-17.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.87 ₱55.6
$1.02 ₱64.6
-14.71%
Eggs
$1.95 ₱124
$2.19 ₱139
-10.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.81 ₱369
$7.47 ₱475
-22.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.09 ₱260
$4.86 ₱309
-15.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.93 ₱377
$6.98 ₱444
-15.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.27 ₱208
$3.28 ₱208
-0.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 ₱64.5
$1.81 ₱115
-44.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.01 ₱192
$2.90 ₱185
3.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.42 ₱90.3
$1.91 ₱122
-25.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱150
$2.30 ₱146
2.61%
Onion (1kg)
$2.76 ₱175
$2.69 ₱171
2.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 ₱91.7
$2.18 ₱139
-33.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 ₱47.25
$0.57 ₱36.47
29.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.02 ₱192
$3.07 ₱195
-1.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.11 ₱389
$9.34 ₱594
-34.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₱68.6
$1.27 ₱81.0
-14.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 ₱80.2
$2.05 ₱130
-38.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Bacong
Manila
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 ₱15.30
$0.33 ₱21.01
-27.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.37 ₱787
$12.80 ₱814
-3.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.80 ₱50.8
$0.78 ₱49.28
2.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ₱22.26
$0.20 ₱12.70
75.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.40 ₱153
$1.85 ₱118
29.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 ₱57.3
$1.31 ₱83.3
-31.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.4M
$20.8K ₱1.3M
2.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.3K ₱1.2M
$19.4K ₱1.2M
-0.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bacong
Manila
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$49.80 ₱3,166
$109 ₱6,946
-54.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.22 ₱586
$15.71 ₱999
-41.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.84 ₱1,706
$24.58 ₱1,563
9.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bacong
Manila
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.50 ₱2,003
$41.75 ₱2,655
-24.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.06 ₱321
$5.84 ₱372
-13.36%
Cinema Ticket
$4.67 ₱297
$6.42 ₱408
-27.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bacong
Manila
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$30.67 ₱1,950
$606 ₱38.5K
-94.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,920 ₱503.5K
$7,674 ₱487.9K
3.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bacong
Manila
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.88 ₱1,518
$55.8 ₱3,550
-57.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.30 ₱1,227
$28.57 ₱1,817
-32.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$54.1 ₱3,442
$68.9 ₱4,381
-21.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$23.13 ₱1,471
$58.3 ₱3,706
-60.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bacong
Manila
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$148 ₱9,406
$533 ₱33.9K
-72.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$169 ₱10.8K
$289 ₱18.4K
-41.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$485 ₱30.8K
$1,916 ₱121.8K
-74.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$355 ₱22.6K
$780 ₱49.6K
-54.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,635 ₱167.6K
$4,078 ₱259.3K
-35.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,104 ₱70.2K
$2,432 ₱154.6K
-54.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bacong
Manila
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$505 ₱32.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.33
7.43
-1.35%

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

Last update for Bacong: November 3, 2026

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bacong
$184
Manila
$219 18.7% $34
Accommodation & Living
Bacong
$169
Manila
$289 70.7% $120
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bacong
$86
Manila
$150 74.2% $64
Eating Out
Bacong
$68
Manila
$99 46.3% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Bacong
$54
Manila
$95 75.7% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Bacong
$41
Manila
$55 33.6% $14
Getting Around
Bacong
$16
Manila
$16 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $148 in Bacong versus $533 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 $19 in Bacong versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $219 – making Bacong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Bacong
🇵🇭 Manila
🕒 Local time
06:29 6:29 AM
06:29 6:29 AM
Same time as Bacong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,207
1,780,148 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bacong Manila 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bacong
  • Manila

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
Bacong vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bacong cheaper than Manila?
Yes – Manila is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $927 per month in Bacong and $1,383 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $148 there versus $533 in Manila.
Is eating out cheaper in Bacong or in Manila?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Bacong and $26 in Manila. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Bacong and in Manila?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $618 in Bacong and $922 in Manila. That makes Bacong about 33% cheaper.
Is Bacong or Manila more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bacong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Bacong is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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