Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calamba and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $510 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Calamba
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Calamba Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$510

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $510 in Calamba versus $945 in Manila.

Calamba $510
Manila $945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $752 in Calamba versus $1,572 in Manila.

Calamba $752
Manila $1,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $994 in Calamba versus $2,199 in Manila.

Calamba $994
Manila $2,199

Living in Calamba costs roughly 46% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Calamba 62% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ₱243

$5.34 ₱339

-28.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.63 ₱739

$26.46 ₱1,680

-56.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.68 ₱170

$3.93 ₱250

-31.81%

Cappuccino

$1.75 ₱111

$2.53 ₱161

-30.83%

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

$0.59 ₱37.59

$1.35 ₱85.7

-56.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.31

$0.82 ₱51.9

-63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ₱58.4

$1.14 ₱72.4

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱101

$2.38 ₱151

-32.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₱105

$1.91 ₱121

-13.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.8

$1.44 ₱91.5

-21.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.9

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$2.30 ₱146

-13.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 ₱311

$7.41 ₱470

-34.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ₱217

$4.61 ₱293

-25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱477

$6.65 ₱422

12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$3.29 ₱209

-31.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱95.2

$1.80 ₱114

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$3.00 ₱191

-23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.6

$1.76 ₱112

-42.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱106

$2.22 ₱141

-24.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 ₱111

$2.66 ₱169

-34.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₱40.68

$2.14 ₱136

-70.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.61

$0.53 ₱33.91

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 ₱182

$3.06 ₱195

-6.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.66 ₱550

$9.57 ₱608

-9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.2

$1.30 ₱82.8

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱129

$1.99 ₱126

2.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱810

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.7

$0.72 ₱45.69

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.27

$0.23 ₱14.63

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.84 ₱117

1.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₱56.9

$1.27 ₱80.5

-29.13%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-0.77%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.58%

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

$137 ₱8,687

$120 ₱7,595

14.39%

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

$17.32 ₱1,100

$15.69 ₱996

10.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.37 ₱1,484

$23.60 ₱1,499

-0.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,703

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱359

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ₱325

$6.50 ₱413

-21.23%

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

$129 ₱8,177

$599 ₱38.0K

-78.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱672.6K

$8,818 ₱560.0K

20.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.97 ₱1,776

$56.7 ₱3,599

-50.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.17 ₱1,217

$27.40 ₱1,740

-30.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₱4,532

$76.4 ₱4,848

-6.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 ₱3,472

$55.5 ₱3,525

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱119.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱51.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ₱15.8K

$466 ₱29.6K

-46.56%

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 Calamba: 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

Calamba

$178 34.8%

Manila

$159 16.8% 10.5% $19

Groceries & Markets

Calamba

$172 33.7%

Manila

$216 22.9% 25.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Calamba

$78 15.3%

Manila

$97 10.3% 24.7% $19

Eating Out

Calamba

$71 13.9%

Manila

$104 11% 46.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Calamba

$10 * 2%

Manila

$56 5.9% 443% $45

Getting Around

Calamba

$2 * 0.4%

Manila

$16 1.7% 712% $14

Accommodation & Living

Calamba

- * 0%

Manila

$297 31.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Manila pays 87% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $12 in Calamba vs $26 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $216 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Calamba

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

Same time as Calamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

539,671

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

Calamba Manila 47 km

From you

Calamba
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

Calamba vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Manila. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Calamba. 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 26% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $510 per month in Calamba versus $945 in Manila – Calamba is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $510 in Calamba versus $945 in Manila, a $800 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba 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, Calamba and Manila are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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