Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Manila Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Manila

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,640 per month in Cape Town vs $934 in Manila, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,528 per month in Cape Town vs $1,491 in Manila, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,415 per month in Cape Town vs $2,048 in Manila, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 76% more than Manila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cape Town sits 19% above the global median, while Manila is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 R 196

$5.70 ₱356

114.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.92 R 786

$25.88 ₱1,618

89.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 R 90.8

$4.11 ₱257

37.47%

Cappuccino

$2.64 R 42.34

$2.49 ₱155

6.02%

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

$1.31 R 21.12

$1.37 ₱85.5

-4.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 16.99

$0.84 ₱52.4

26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 R 50.9

$1.14 ₱71.6

178.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 R 61.0

$2.67 ₱167

42.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.15

$1.89 ₱118

-26.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 R 19.84

$1.46 ₱91.3

-15.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 R 34.99

$0.99 ₱61.7

120.20%

Eggs

$3.04 R 48.85

$2.32 ₱145

31.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 R 147

$7.85 ₱491

16.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 111

$4.96 ₱310

38.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 R 150

$7.07 ₱442

31.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.39

$3.39 ₱212

-44.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.67

$1.93 ₱121

5.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.78

$3.01 ₱188

-44.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 35.63

$1.78 ₱111

24.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.55

$2.24 ₱140

-31.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 R 25.96

$2.59 ₱162

-37.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.42

$2.12 ₱133

-37.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 18.91

$0.56 ₱34.90

110.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 R 57.7

$3.03 ₱190

18.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 100

$9.84 ₱616

-36.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.57

$1.28 ₱80.0

10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R 37.19

$2.11 ₱132

9.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 R 23.31

$0.47 ₱29.23

208.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 R 988

$12.73 ₱796

383.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.36

$0.83 ₱52.1

-21.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 R 25.98

$0.23 ₱14.42

604.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 81.3

$1.98 ₱124

155.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.22

$1.24 ₱77.4

26.61%

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

$37.1K R 595.7K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

70.43%

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

$33.2K R 533.1K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

68.53%

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

$121 R 1,938

$121 ₱7,597

-0.67%

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

$30.79 R 495

$15.06 ₱942

104.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 R 636

$23.90 ₱1,495

65.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 R 814

$43.84 ₱2,741

15.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 R 190

$5.97 ₱374

97.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 R 150

$7.03 ₱440

33.00%

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

$265 R 4,261

$629 ₱39.3K

-57.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,560 R 105.4K

$9,036 ₱565.0K

-27.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R 925

$59.1 ₱3,698

-2.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 R 532

$28.07 ₱1,756

17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,941

$75.6 ₱4,724

59.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,764

$57.9 ₱3,620

89.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 R 16.6K

$537 ₱33.6K

92.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 R 11.7K

$283 ₱17.7K

157.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 R 30.5K

$1,898 ₱118.7K

-0.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 R 21.8K

$671 ₱41.9K

102.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 R 40.0K

$4,351 ₱272.1K

-42.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 R 25.9K

$2,494 ₱156.0K

-35.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 R 26.4K

$484 ₱30.2K

239.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

7.43

48.32%

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

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Last update for Manila: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,035 in Cape Town versus $537 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 240% higher in Cape Town, 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 $49.00 in Cape Town versus $26.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $223 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cape Town vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 76% more than Manila, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,460 per month in Cape Town and $1,401 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,640 in Cape Town and $934 in Manila. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 383% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Cape Town at $1,640. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manila costs $934 versus $1,640 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Manila. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.