Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $569 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
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Butuan Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$569

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $569 in Butuan versus $945 in Manila.

Butuan $569
Manila $945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $899 in Butuan versus $1,572 in Manila.

Butuan $899
Manila $1,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,229 in Butuan versus $2,199 in Manila.

Butuan $1,229
Manila $2,199

Living in Butuan costs roughly 40% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butuan 58% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱298

$5.34 ₱341

-12.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.45 ₱1,690

$26.46 ₱1,691

-0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.32 ₱149

$3.93 ₱251

-40.97%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ₱131

$2.53 ₱162

-19.37%

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

$0.30 ₱19.14

$1.35 ₱86.2

-77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₱15.34

$0.82 ₱52.2

-70.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₱101

$1.14 ₱72.8

38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₱151

$2.38 ₱152

-0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱123

$1.91 ₱122

0.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱71.0

$1.44 ₱92.1

-22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱57.2

$0.94 ₱60.3

-4.26%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱117

$2.30 ₱147

-20.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.42 ₱410

$7.41 ₱473

-13.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ₱303

$4.61 ₱295

3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 ₱601

$6.65 ₱425

41.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ₱170

$3.29 ₱211

-19.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$1.80 ₱115

-39.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱153

$3.00 ₱192

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.6

$1.76 ₱112

-33.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 ₱126

$2.22 ₱142

-11.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 ₱218

$2.66 ₱170

27.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱75.3

$2.14 ₱137

-44.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱44.69

$0.53 ₱34.12

32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₱155

$3.06 ₱196

-20.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 ₱491

$9.57 ₱611

-19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.3

$1.30 ₱83.3

-2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱103

$1.99 ₱127

-19.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$0.72 ₱45.97

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.23 ₱14.72

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.84 ₱117

4.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱68.0

$1.27 ₱81.0

-16.54%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

0.35%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

2.47%

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

$106 ₱6,755

$120 ₱7,641

-11.60%

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

$18.42 ₱1,177

$15.69 ₱1,003

17.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.63 ₱1,957

$23.60 ₱1,508

29.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.59 ₱1,507

$42.57 ₱2,720

-44.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

Cinema Ticket

$4.18 ₱267

$6.50 ₱415

-35.69%

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

$106 ₱6,768

$599 ₱38.3K

-82.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,473 ₱477.5K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

-15.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₱3,805

$56.7 ₱3,621

5.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 ₱1,926

$27.40 ₱1,751

10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 ₱4,410

$76.4 ₱4,878

-9.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,878

$55.5 ₱3,546

9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.43

11.84%

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

Last update for Butuan: 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

Butuan

$198 34.9%

Manila

$216 22.9% 9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butuan

$155 27.2%

Manila

$159 16.8% 2.6% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Butuan

$99 17.3%

Manila

$97 10.3% 1.6% $1.6

Eating Out

Butuan

$84 14.7%

Manila

$104 11% 24.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Butuan

$32 5.6%

Manila

$56 5.9% 74% $24

Getting Around

Butuan

$2 * 0.4%

Manila

$16 1.7% 708% $14

Accommodation & Living

Butuan

- * 0%

Manila

$297 31.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $26 in Butuan vs $26 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $216 per month, with Butuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Butuan

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

Same time as Butuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,063

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

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Between locations

Butuan Manila 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Butuan
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

Butuan vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Manila. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $854 in Butuan 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.

All in, you’ll spend $569 per month in Butuan versus $945 in Manila – Butuan is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $569 in Butuan versus $945 in Manila, a $800 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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