Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bohol and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Bohol: $461 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Bohol
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Bohol Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Bohol

🇵🇭 Philippines

$461

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $461 per month in Bohol vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Bohol $461
Manila $948

A couple spends around $793 per month in Bohol vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Bohol $793
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,125 per month in Bohol vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Bohol $1,125
Manila $2,068

Bohol is about 51% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bohol and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Bohol 66% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.85 ₱494

$5.46 ₱344

43.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.23 ₱2,029

$26.93 ₱1,695

19.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.14 ₱198

$3.90 ₱246

-19.49%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ₱123

$2.62 ₱165

-25.19%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₱97.9

$1.96 ₱123

-20.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ₱57.6

$1.42 ₱89.1

-35.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.1

$1.04 ₱65.4

-4.81%

Eggs

$2.13 ₱134

$2.23 ₱140

-4.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 ₱475

$7.70 ₱485

-1.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 ₱303

$4.91 ₱309

-2.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.48 ₱597

$7.12 ₱448

33.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 ₱88.3

$3.23 ₱204

-56.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ₱61.7

$1.92 ₱121

-48.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.79 ₱113

6.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.32 ₱146

-23.28%

Onion (1kg)

$4.75 ₱299

$2.73 ₱172

73.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.12 ₱133

11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.8

$1.28 ₱80.6

7.81%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

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

$124 ₱7,822

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

$15.73 ₱990

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.30 ₱1,404

$24.40 ₱1,536

-8.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.51 ₱914

$43.31 ₱2,727

-66.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.66 ₱356

$5.79 ₱365

-2.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 ₱257

$6.76 ₱425

-39.64%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

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)

$193 ₱12.1K

$536 ₱33.8K

-64.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 ₱10.1K

$284 ₱17.9K

-43.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 ₱19.8K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-83.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 ₱18.2K

$654 ₱41.2K

-55.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$526 ₱33.1K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-79.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

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 Bohol: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bohol

$161 35%

Manila

$284 29.9% 76.2% $123

Groceries & Markets

Bohol

$159 * 34.5%

Manila

$222 23.5% 39.9% $63

Eating Out

Bohol

$96 * 20.8%

Manila

$106 11.2% 11.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bohol

$23 4.9%

Manila

$57 6% 151% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bohol

$22 * 4.8%

Manila

$164 17.3% 637% $142

Getting Around

Bohol

- * 0%

Manila

$16 1.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Bohol

- * 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 $193 in Bohol 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Bohol versus $27.00 in Manila. Groceries tell a different story – $159 in Bohol vs $222 in Manila – so Bohol wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bohol

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

Same time as Bohol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,454

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

On the map

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Between locations

Bohol Manila 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bohol
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

Bohol vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $691 per month in Bohol 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 Bohol, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Bohol and $27.00 in Manila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bohol, where all-in costs run around $461, than in Manila at $948. In Bohol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bohol – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Bohol. 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.