Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabanatuan and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $603 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
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Cabanatuan Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$603

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $603 per month in Cabanatuan vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Cabanatuan $603
Manila $945

A couple spends around $934 per month in Cabanatuan vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Cabanatuan $934
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,265 per month in Cabanatuan vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Cabanatuan $1,265
Manila $2,199

Cabanatuan is about 36% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cabanatuan and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Cabanatuan 56% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 ₱247

$5.34 ₱341

-27.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.22 ₱1,036

$26.46 ₱1,691

-38.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱174

$3.93 ₱251

-30.79%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₱112

$2.53 ₱162

-30.43%

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

$0.60 ₱38.22

$1.35 ₱86.2

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.31

$0.82 ₱52.2

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.5

$1.14 ₱72.8

-13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱102

$2.38 ₱152

-32.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.91 ₱122

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$1.44 ₱92.1

-24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.1

$0.94 ₱60.3

-1.06%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱132

$2.30 ₱147

-10.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 ₱312

$7.41 ₱473

-34.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ₱210

$4.61 ₱295

-28.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 ₱499

$6.65 ₱425

17.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ₱143

$3.29 ₱211

-31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ₱66.0

$1.80 ₱115

-42.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱149

$3.00 ₱192

-22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 ₱48.26

$1.76 ₱112

-56.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ₱105

$2.22 ₱142

-26.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 ₱107

$2.66 ₱170

-37.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.83

$2.14 ₱137

-69.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.20

$0.53 ₱34.12

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ₱182

$3.06 ₱196

-6.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 ₱537

$9.57 ₱611

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱57.1

$1.30 ₱83.3

-31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱129

$1.99 ₱127

1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$0.40 ₱25.83

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.20 ₱779

$12.75 ₱815

-4.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱51.4

$0.72 ₱45.97

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.23 ₱14.72

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱117

$1.84 ₱117

-0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 ₱62.4

$1.27 ₱81.0

-22.83%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

1.35%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

1.81%

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

$52.5 ₱3,356

$120 ₱7,641

-56.08%

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

$17.06 ₱1,090

$15.69 ₱1,003

8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.33 ₱1,363

$23.60 ₱1,508

-9.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.88 ₱695

$42.57 ₱2,720

-74.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.72 ₱302

$5.65 ₱361

-16.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱333

$6.50 ₱415

-19.69%

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

$130 ₱8,331

$599 ₱38.3K

-78.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₱671.0K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

19.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.08 ₱1,475

$56.7 ₱3,621

-59.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 ₱1,211

$27.40 ₱1,751

-30.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 ₱3,771

$76.4 ₱4,878

-22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 ₱3,530

$55.5 ₱3,546

-0.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₱16.7K

$526 ₱33.6K

-50.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₱10.6K

$297 ₱19.0K

-43.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 ₱27.6K

$1,887 ₱120.5K

-77.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 ₱19.7K

$816 ₱52.1K

-62.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 ₱184.6K

$3,968 ₱253.5K

-27.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,257 ₱80.3K

$2,366 ₱151.2K

-46.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$158 ₱10.1K

$466 ₱29.8K

-66.09%

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 Cabanatuan: 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

Cabanatuan

$166 27.6%

Manila

$216 22.9% 30% $50

Accommodation & Living

Cabanatuan

$166 27.6%

Manila

$297 31.4% 78.4% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabanatuan

$91 15.1%

Manila

$159 16.8% 74.8% $68

Eating Out

Cabanatuan

$72 12%

Manila

$104 11% 44.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Cabanatuan

$70 11.7%

Manila

$97 10.3% 38.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Cabanatuan

$21 3.5%

Manila

$56 5.9% 161% $34

Getting Around

Cabanatuan

$15 2.5%

Manila

$16 1.7% 6.8% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Cabanatuan versus $526 in Manila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Manila are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Cabanatuan versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $216 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

Same time as Cabanatuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

302,231

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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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

Cabanatuan vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $603 in Cabanatuan, $945 in Manila – Cabanatuan comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $904 per month in Cabanatuan and $1,418 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $261 there versus $526 in Manila.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Cabanatuan and $26 in Manila. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $603 in Cabanatuan and $945 in Manila. That makes Cabanatuan about 36% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $603 in Cabanatuan and $945 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Cabanatuan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.