Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bataan and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Bataan: $484 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Bataan
Learn more

Bataan Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index

Jump to prices

Bataan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$484

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $484 in Bataan versus $945 in Manila.

Bataan $484
Manila $945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $808 in Bataan versus $1,572 in Manila.

Bataan $808
Manila $1,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,132 in Bataan versus $2,199 in Manila.

Bataan $1,132
Manila $2,199

Living in Bataan costs roughly 49% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bataan 64% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.35 ₱86.6

$5.34 ₱341

-74.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.58 ₱1,059

$26.46 ₱1,691

-37.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.67 ₱171

$3.93 ₱251

-32.06%

Cappuccino

$1.30 ₱83.1

$2.53 ₱162

-48.62%

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

$0.58 ₱37.13

$1.35 ₱86.2

-57.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱14.03

$0.82 ₱52.2

-73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.8

$1.14 ₱72.8

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱99.0

$2.38 ₱152

-34.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₱100

$1.91 ₱122

-17.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱70.4

$1.44 ₱92.1

-23.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.6

$0.94 ₱60.3

7.45%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱112

$2.30 ₱147

-23.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 ₱326

$7.41 ₱473

-31.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ₱189

$4.61 ₱295

-36.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 ₱486

$6.65 ₱425

14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ₱143

$3.29 ₱211

-31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₱97.3

$1.80 ₱115

-15.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$3.00 ₱192

-24.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.4

$1.76 ₱112

-39.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 ₱105

$2.22 ₱142

-25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 ₱107

$2.66 ₱170

-37.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₱38.38

$2.14 ₱137

-71.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.50

$0.53 ₱34.12

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 ₱139

$3.06 ₱196

-28.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₱537

$9.57 ₱611

-12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.7

$1.30 ₱83.3

-25.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱129

$1.99 ₱127

1.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.22

$0.40 ₱25.83

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.16 ₱713

$12.75 ₱815

-12.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱48.08

$0.72 ₱45.97

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.37

$0.23 ₱14.72

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱66.0

$1.27 ₱81.0

-18.90%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-0.29%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

-0.03%

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

$47.28 ₱3,021

$120 ₱7,641

-60.46%

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

$17.49 ₱1,117

$15.69 ₱1,003

11.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.85 ₱1,460

$23.60 ₱1,508

-3.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.23 ₱1,996

$42.57 ₱2,720

-26.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 ₱359

$5.65 ₱361

-0.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₱320

$6.50 ₱415

-22.92%

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

$65.6 ₱4,190

$599 ₱38.3K

-89.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱683.0K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

21.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.82 ₱1,778

$56.7 ₱3,621

-50.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.07 ₱1,218

$27.40 ₱1,751

-30.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 ₱4,422

$76.4 ₱4,878

-9.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 ₱3,565

$55.5 ₱3,546

0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 ₱10.3K

$526 ₱33.6K

-69.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.0 ₱3,197

$297 ₱19.0K

-83.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₱17.5K

$1,887 ₱120.5K

-85.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.3K

$816 ₱52.1K

-78.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,553 ₱163.1K

$3,968 ₱253.5K

-35.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,066 ₱68.1K

$2,366 ₱151.2K

-54.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$389 ₱24.9K

$466 ₱29.8K

-16.56%

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 Bataan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bataan

$168 34.7%

Manila

$216 22.9% 28.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bataan

$88 18.1%

Manila

$159 16.8% 81.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Bataan

$77 16%

Manila

$97 10.3% 25.6% $20

Accommodation & Living

Bataan

$50 10.3%

Manila

$297 31.4% 493% $247

Eating Out

Bataan

$46 9.5%

Manila

$104 11% 128% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Bataan

$41 8.5%

Manila

$56 5.9% 34.7% $14

Getting Around

Bataan

$14 2.9%

Manila

$16 1.7% 15.4% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $161 in Bataan and $526 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17 in Bataan vs $26 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $216 per month, with Bataan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bataan

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

Same time as Bataan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,743

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

Bataan Manila 49 km

From you

Bataan
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

Bataan vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bataan is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Bataan. 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: $161 in Bataan versus $526 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bataan – a meal for two runs $17 versus $26 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Bataan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.