Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bago and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $688 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Bago
Learn more

Bago Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index

Jump to prices

Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$688

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Bago versus $945 in Manila.

Bago $688
Manila $945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,080 in Bago versus $1,572 in Manila.

Bago $1,080
Manila $1,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,472 in Bago versus $2,199 in Manila.

Bago $1,472
Manila $2,199

Living in Bago costs roughly 27% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bago 49% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ₱281

$5.34 ₱341

-17.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.67 ₱1,000

$26.46 ₱1,688

-40.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.86 ₱182

$3.93 ₱251

-27.23%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₱150

$2.53 ₱161

-7.11%

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

$0.69 ₱43.74

$1.35 ₱86.1

-48.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.49

$0.82 ₱52.1

-60.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱80.4

$1.14 ₱72.7

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₱115

$2.38 ₱152

-24.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.91 ₱122

-16.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱79.0

$1.44 ₱92.0

-13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.9

$0.94 ₱60.2

-2.13%

Eggs

$1.72 ₱109

$2.30 ₱147

-25.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.11 ₱390

$7.41 ₱473

-17.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 ₱291

$4.61 ₱294

-1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.00 ₱447

$6.65 ₱424

5.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ₱172

$3.29 ₱210

-17.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ₱88.2

$1.80 ₱115

-23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 ₱139

$3.00 ₱191

-27.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.5

$1.76 ₱112

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱114

$2.22 ₱142

-19.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 ₱131

$2.66 ₱170

-22.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$2.14 ₱136

-46.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.00

$0.53 ₱34.08

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱172

$3.06 ₱196

-12.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 ₱436

$9.57 ₱610

-28.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₱64.7

$1.30 ₱83.2

-22.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱107

$1.99 ₱127

-15.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.66

$0.40 ₱25.80

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.19 ₱778

$12.75 ₱814

-4.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.8

$0.72 ₱45.91

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.42

$0.23 ₱14.70

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₱115

$1.84 ₱117

-2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₱85.6

$1.27 ₱80.9

5.51%

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

$18.2K ₱1.2M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-12.35%

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

$17.3K ₱1.1M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

-7.47%

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

$113 ₱7,188

$120 ₱7,631

-5.80%

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

$14.33 ₱914

$15.69 ₱1,001

-8.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.00 ₱1,404

$23.60 ₱1,506

-6.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.03 ₱1,789

$42.57 ₱2,716

-34.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.61 ₱294

$5.65 ₱360

-18.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₱336

$6.50 ₱415

-18.92%

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

$112 ₱7,161

$599 ₱38.2K

-81.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,644 ₱551.5K

$8,818 ₱562.7K

-1.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.74 ₱1,962

$56.7 ₱3,616

-45.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.38 ₱1,109

$27.40 ₱1,748

-36.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ₱3,933

$76.4 ₱4,871

-19.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,760

$55.5 ₱3,542

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 ₱18.3K

$526 ₱33.6K

-45.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 ₱9,177

$297 ₱18.9K

-51.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₱35.3K

$1,887 ₱120.4K

-70.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.8K

$816 ₱52.1K

-56.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,770 ₱176.8K

$3,968 ₱253.2K

-30.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$968 ₱61.8K

$2,366 ₱151.0K

-59.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.43

-6.86%

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

Last update for Bago: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bago

$179 26.1%

Manila

$216 22.9% 20.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bago

$149 21.7%

Manila

$159 16.8% 6.6% $9.9

Accommodation & Living

Bago

$144 20.9%

Manila

$297 31.4% 106% $153

Eating Out

Bago

$86 12.5%

Manila

$104 11% 21.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Bago

$76 11%

Manila

$97 10.3% 28% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Bago

$39 5.6%

Manila

$56 5.9% 44% $17

Getting Around

Bago

$15 2.2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 8.3% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Bago and $526 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in Bago vs $26 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $216 per month, with Bago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bago

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

Same time as Bago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,210

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bago Manila 490 km

From you

Bago
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

Bago vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,031 in Bago and $1,418 in Manila to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $286 in Bago versus $526 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Bago versus $599 in Manila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.