Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Batangas and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Batangas: $610 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Batangas
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Batangas Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Batangas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$610

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $610 in Batangas versus $945 in Manila.

Batangas $610
Manila $945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $887 in Batangas versus $1,572 in Manila.

Batangas $887
Manila $1,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,165 in Batangas versus $2,199 in Manila.

Batangas $1,165
Manila $2,199

Living in Batangas costs roughly 35% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Batangas 55% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₱136

$5.34 ₱340

-59.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ₱1,210

$26.46 ₱1,685

-28.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.63 ₱168

$3.93 ₱251

-33.08%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ₱131

$2.53 ₱161

-18.58%

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

$0.37 ₱23.81

$1.35 ₱86.0

-72.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.92

$0.82 ₱52.1

-65.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ₱66.8

$1.14 ₱72.6

-7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₱88.9

$2.38 ₱152

-41.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱109

$1.91 ₱121

-10.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.8

$1.44 ₱91.8

-19.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₱49.20

$0.94 ₱60.1

-18.09%

Eggs

$1.61 ₱103

$2.30 ₱147

-30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.49 ₱350

$7.41 ₱472

-25.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.09 ₱261

$4.61 ₱294

-11.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.99 ₱445

$6.65 ₱423

5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₱146

$3.29 ₱210

-30.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 ₱85.8

$1.80 ₱114

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱153

$3.00 ₱191

-19.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱73.8

$1.76 ₱112

-34.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 ₱140

$2.22 ₱141

-0.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 ₱206

$2.66 ₱169

21.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ₱81.9

$2.14 ₱136

-39.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.4

$0.53 ₱34.01

67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 ₱161

$3.06 ₱195

-17.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 ₱481

$9.57 ₱609

-21.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.1

$1.30 ₱83.0

-2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$1.99 ₱127

-13.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₱39.95

$0.40 ₱25.75

57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.46

$0.72 ₱45.82

5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.32

$0.23 ₱14.67

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 ₱158

$1.84 ₱117

34.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 ₱64.1

$1.27 ₱80.8

-20.47%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

0.89%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

1.34%

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

$161 ₱10.3K

$120 ₱7,617

35.03%

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

$14.33 ₱913

$15.69 ₱999

-8.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.93 ₱1,524

$23.60 ₱1,503

1.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.53 ₱1,180

$42.57 ₱2,711

-56.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.48 ₱795

$5.65 ₱360

120.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 ₱358

$6.50 ₱414

-13.38%

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

$71.9 ₱4,577

$599 ₱38.1K

-88.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,239 ₱78.9K

$8,818 ₱561.6K

-85.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.94 ₱1,015

$56.7 ₱3,609

-71.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.67 ₱1,444

$27.40 ₱1,745

-17.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.8 ₱3,429

$76.4 ₱4,863

-29.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.82 ₱2,536

$55.5 ₱3,535

-28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$71.1 ₱4,530

$297 ₱18.9K

-76.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₱9,963

$1,887 ₱120.2K

-91.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.3 ₱5,942

$816 ₱52.0K

-88.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,500 ₱159.2K

$3,968 ₱252.7K

-37.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,573 ₱100.2K

$2,366 ₱150.7K

-33.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 ₱11.8K

$466 ₱29.7K

-60.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

-5.79%

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

Last update for Batangas: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Batangas

$200 32.8%

Manila

$159 16.8% 20.5% $41

Groceries & Markets

Batangas

$185 30.3%

Manila

$216 22.9% 17% $31

Accommodation & Living

Batangas

$71 11.7%

Manila

$297 31.4% 317% $226

Eating Out

Batangas

$60 9.9%

Manila

$104 11% 72.4% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Batangas

$60 9.8%

Manila

$97 10.3% 63.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Batangas

$30 4.9%

Manila

$56 5.9% 86.6% $26

Getting Around

Batangas

$4.3 * 0.7%

Manila

$16 1.7% 276% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

Manila pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Batangas vs $26 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $216 per month, with Batangas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Batangas

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

14:07 2:07 PM

Same time as Batangas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

329,874

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

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Highest

Between locations

Batangas Manila 93 km

From you

Batangas
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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

Batangas vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $610 in Batangas and $945 in Manila, so Batangas is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Batangas. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $610 per month in Batangas versus $945 in Manila – Batangas is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Batangas 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.

Safety-wise, Batangas and Manila are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Batangas wins on affordability, Manila on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.