Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caloocan and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Caloocan: $496 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Caloocan
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Caloocan Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Caloocan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $496 per month in Caloocan vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Caloocan $496
Manila $945

A couple spends around $665 per month in Caloocan vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Caloocan $665
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $834 per month in Caloocan vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Caloocan $834
Manila $2,199

Caloocan is about 48% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Caloocan and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Caloocan 64% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 ₱172

$5.34 ₱341

-49.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.45 ₱1,048

$26.46 ₱1,686

-37.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.26 ₱144

$3.93 ₱251

-42.49%

Cappuccino

$0.84 ₱53.3

$2.53 ₱161

-66.80%

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

$0.39 ₱25.07

$1.35 ₱86.0

-71.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.70

$0.82 ₱52.1

-60.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.3

$1.14 ₱72.6

-11.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₱101

$2.38 ₱152

-33.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.91 ₱121

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.7

$1.44 ₱91.8

-22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱63.1

$0.94 ₱60.1

5.32%

Eggs

$1.79 ₱114

$2.30 ₱147

-22.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$7.41 ₱472

-33.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 ₱212

$4.61 ₱294

-27.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 ₱490

$6.65 ₱424

15.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ₱142

$3.29 ₱210

-32.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.5

$1.80 ₱114

-46.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$3.00 ₱191

-22.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ₱66.6

$1.76 ₱112

-40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.8

$2.22 ₱141

-52.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ₱113

$2.66 ₱169

-33.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.39

$2.14 ₱136

-69.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₱29.15

$0.53 ₱34.03

-13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱180

$3.06 ₱195

-7.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 ₱307

$9.57 ₱610

-49.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.2

$1.30 ₱83.1

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱129

$1.99 ₱127

1.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.69

$0.40 ₱25.76

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱49.01

$0.72 ₱45.85

6.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.23 ₱14.68

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.84 ₱117

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₱68.0

$1.27 ₱80.8

-15.75%

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

$21.4K ₱1.4M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

3.13%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

2.71%

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

$53.6 ₱3,416

$120 ₱7,620

-55.18%

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

$9.42 ₱600

$15.69 ₱1,000

-39.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 ₱1,439

$23.60 ₱1,504

-4.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$4.82 ₱307

$42.57 ₱2,713

-88.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ₱326

$6.50 ₱414

-21.23%

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

$130 ₱8,279

$599 ₱38.2K

-78.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱673.2K

$8,818 ₱561.9K

19.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.20 ₱1,797

$56.7 ₱3,611

-50.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.52 ₱1,244

$27.40 ₱1,746

-28.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.9 ₱3,432

$76.4 ₱4,865

-29.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.64 ₱3,035

$55.5 ₱3,537

-14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 ₱13.3K

$526 ₱33.5K

-60.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 ₱7,491

$297 ₱18.9K

-60.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$307 ₱19.6K

$466 ₱29.7K

-34.11%

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 Caloocan: 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

Caloocan

$158 31.9%

Manila

$216 22.9% 36.9% $58

Accommodation & Living

Caloocan

$118 23.7%

Manila

$297 31.4% 153% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caloocan

$86 17.3%

Manila

$159 16.8% 85.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Caloocan

$67 13.6%

Manila

$97 10.3% 44.7% $30

Eating Out

Caloocan

$50 10%

Manila

$104 11% 110% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Caloocan

$15 3%

Manila

$56 5.9% 269% $41

Getting Around

Caloocan

$2.7 * 0.5%

Manila

$16 1.7% 511% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $209 in Caloocan 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 run about 52% 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 $16 in Caloocan versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $158 vs $216 – making Caloocan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Caloocan

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

Same time as Caloocan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,661,584

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

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Caloocan Manila 7 km

From you

Caloocan
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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

Caloocan vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila costs about 91% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $743 per month in Caloocan 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 Caloocan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $526 in Manila.

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

Groceries cost about 37% more in Manila, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Caloocan, where all-in costs run around $496, than in Manila at $945. In Caloocan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caloocan – 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 Caloocan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.