Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calbayog and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Calbayog: $723 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Calbayog
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Calbayog Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Calbayog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$723

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $723 per month in Calbayog vs $922 in Manila, rent included.

Calbayog $723
Manila $922

A couple spends around $1,104 per month in Calbayog vs $1,531 in Manila, rent included.

Calbayog $1,104
Manila $1,531

A family of three spends $1,484 per month in Calbayog vs $2,140 in Manila, rent included.

Calbayog $1,484
Manila $2,140

Calbayog is about 22% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calbayog and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Calbayog 47% lower, Manila 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 ₱255

$4.66 ₱296

-13.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.24 ₱1,031

$26.32 ₱1,671

-38.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱175

$4.02 ₱255

-31.34%

Cappuccino

$2.15 ₱136

$2.51 ₱159

-14.34%

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

$0.68 ₱43.35

$1.37 ₱87.1

-50.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.57

$0.89 ₱56.4

-65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.4

$1.20 ₱75.9

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₱134

$2.34 ₱149

-9.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱102

$1.87 ₱119

-13.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.41 ₱89.5

-19.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.4

$1.02 ₱64.5

-4.90%

Eggs

$1.92 ₱122

$2.19 ₱139

-12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.63 ₱357

$7.47 ₱474

-24.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 ₱263

$4.86 ₱308

-14.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 ₱450

$6.98 ₱443

1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱147

$3.28 ₱208

-29.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱99.2

$1.81 ₱115

-13.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$2.90 ₱184

-20.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱73.7

$1.91 ₱121

-39.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 ₱129

$2.30 ₱146

-11.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.69 ₱171

-17.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱69.7

$2.18 ₱139

-49.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱33.98

$0.57 ₱36.41

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₱183

$3.07 ₱195

-6.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₱479

$9.34 ₱593

-19.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₱59.5

$1.27 ₱80.9

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₱120

$2.05 ₱130

-7.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.30

$0.33 ₱20.98

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.58 ₱798

$12.80 ₱812

-1.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.77

$0.78 ₱49.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.20 ₱12.68

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.85 ₱118

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₱73.4

$1.31 ₱83.2

-11.45%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.77%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.52%

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

$118 ₱7,510

$109 ₱6,936

8.27%

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

$15.41 ₱978

$15.71 ₱997

-1.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 ₱1,515

$24.58 ₱1,561

-2.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.71 ₱2,013

$41.75 ₱2,651

-24.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.15 ₱327

$5.84 ₱371

-11.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱331

$6.42 ₱407

-18.69%

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

$130 ₱8,242

$606 ₱38.5K

-78.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,709 ₱489.4K

$7,674 ₱487.2K

0.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.11 ₱2,038

$55.8 ₱3,545

-42.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.07 ₱1,210

$28.57 ₱1,814

-33.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₱4,548

$68.9 ₱4,375

3.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,510

$58.3 ₱3,701

-5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 ₱15.9K

$533 ₱33.8K

-53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.7K

$289 ₱18.4K

-41.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 ₱30.9K

$1,916 ₱121.6K

-74.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ₱22.3K

$780 ₱49.5K

-54.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,619 ₱166.3K

$4,078 ₱258.9K

-35.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,124 ₱71.3K

$2,432 ₱154.4K

-53.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$149 ₱9,486

$505 ₱32.1K

-70.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.43

-6.86%

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

Last update for Calbayog: October 31, 2026

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Calbayog

$179 24.7%

Manila

$219 23.7% 22.3% $40

Accommodation & Living

Calbayog

$169 23.4%

Manila

$289 31.4% 71% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calbayog

$158 21.8%

Manila

$150 16.2% 5.1% $8

Eating Out

Calbayog

$80 11.1%

Manila

$99 10.8% 23.7% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Calbayog

$80 11.1%

Manila

$95 10.3% 18.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Calbayog

$42 5.8%

Manila

$55 5.9% 29.5% $12

Getting Around

Calbayog

$15 2.1%

Manila

$16 1.7% 3% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $250 in Calbayog versus $533 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 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Calbayog versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $219 – making Calbayog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Calbayog

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

Same time as Calbayog

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,851

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calbayog vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,085 per month in Calbayog and $1,383 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calbayog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $533 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $723 in Calbayog and $922 in Manila. That makes Calbayog about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Calbayog and $606 in Manila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

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