Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calapan City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Calapan City: $710 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Calapan City
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Calapan City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Calapan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$710

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $710 per month in Calapan City vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Calapan City $710
Manila $948

A couple spends around $1,088 per month in Calapan City vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Calapan City $1,088
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,467 per month in Calapan City vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Calapan City $1,467
Manila $2,068

Calapan City is about 25% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calapan City and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Calapan City 47% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.01 ₱252

$5.46 ₱344

-26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.85 ₱1,061

$26.93 ₱1,695

-37.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.83 ₱178

$3.90 ₱246

-27.44%

Cappuccino

$2.25 ₱142

$2.62 ₱165

-14.12%

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

$0.61 ₱38.53

$1.36 ₱85.5

-55.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.15

$0.83 ₱52.3

-63.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.0

$1.22 ₱76.9

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₱120

$2.32 ₱146

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱107

$1.96 ₱123

-13.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱72.5

$1.42 ₱89.1

-19.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.1

$1.04 ₱65.4

-6.73%

Eggs

$1.92 ₱121

$2.23 ₱140

-13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.78 ₱301

$7.70 ₱485

-37.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 ₱267

$4.91 ₱309

-13.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$7.12 ₱448

-1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$3.23 ₱204

-27.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.92 ₱121

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.93 ₱184

-19.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.6

$1.79 ₱113

-36.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱120

$2.32 ₱146

-17.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$2.73 ₱172

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₱62.3

$2.12 ₱133

-53.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱34.62

$0.59 ₱37.25

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$3.18 ₱200

-5.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.38 ₱464

$9.81 ₱618

-24.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱59.6

$1.34 ₱84.1

-29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱123

$2.00 ₱126

-2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.06

$0.47 ₱29.47

-48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.13 ₱701

$12.56 ₱791

-11.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.46

$0.73 ₱46.07

8.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.48

$0.21 ₱13.20

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.87 ₱118

3.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₱66.3

$1.28 ₱80.6

-17.97%

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

$23.0K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

7.57%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-2.79%

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

$121 ₱7,642

$124 ₱7,822

-2.31%

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

$14.21 ₱895

$15.73 ₱990

-9.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 ₱1,525

$24.40 ₱1,536

-0.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.71 ₱2,059

$43.31 ₱2,727

-24.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.12 ₱323

$5.79 ₱365

-11.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱319

$6.76 ₱425

-25.00%

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

$125 ₱7,875

$630 ₱39.7K

-80.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,935 ₱499.6K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-11.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.35 ₱2,037

$58.3 ₱3,668

-44.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.22 ₱1,210

$27.34 ₱1,721

-29.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 ₱4,395

$75.6 ₱4,758

-7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 ₱3,589

$56.6 ₱3,564

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$232 ₱14.6K

$536 ₱33.8K

-56.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₱9,819

$284 ₱17.9K

-45.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₱31.3K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-73.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ₱21.1K

$654 ₱41.2K

-48.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,385 ₱150.2K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-46.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,002 ₱63.1K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-60.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$118 ₱7,460

$467 ₱29.4K

-74.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.43

-8.61%

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

Last update for Calapan City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Calapan City

$177 24.9%

Manila

$222 23.5% 25.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calapan City

$160 22.5%

Manila

$164 17.3% 2.9% $4.6

Accommodation & Living

Calapan City

$156 22%

Manila

$284 29.9% 81.9% $128

Eating Out

Calapan City

$81 11.4%

Manila

$106 11.2% 31.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Calapan City

$80 11.3%

Manila

$98 10.3% 22.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Calapan City

$43 6%

Manila

$57 6% 32.6% $14

Getting Around

Calapan City

$14 2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 17% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $232 in Calapan City 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.

Salaries run about 294% higher in Manila, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Calapan City versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $222 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Calapan City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

05:54 5:54 AM

Same time as Calapan City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

145,786

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

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Calapan City Manila 130 km

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Calapan City
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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

Calapan City vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,065 per month in Calapan City 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 Calapan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Calapan City and $27.00 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 $710 in Calapan City and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calapan City, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Manila at $948. In Calapan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calapan City – 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 Calapan City. 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.