Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cauayan City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Cauayan City: $708 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cauayan City
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Cauayan City Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Cauayan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$708

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $708 per month in Cauayan City vs $922 in Manila, rent included.

Cauayan City $708
Manila $922

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Cauayan City vs $1,531 in Manila, rent included.

Cauayan City $1,074
Manila $1,531

A family of three spends $1,440 per month in Cauayan City vs $2,140 in Manila, rent included.

Cauayan City $1,440
Manila $2,140

Cauayan City is about 23% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cauayan City and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Cauayan City 48% lower, Manila 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱252

$4.66 ₱296

-14.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.34 ₱1,039

$26.32 ₱1,673

-37.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱176

$4.02 ₱256

-31.09%

Cappuccino

$1.82 ₱116

$2.51 ₱159

-27.49%

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

$0.55 ₱35.05

$1.37 ₱87.2

-59.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.13

$0.89 ₱56.5

-62.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.8

$1.20 ₱76.1

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱98.4

$2.34 ₱149

-33.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ₱104

$1.87 ₱119

-12.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.1

$1.41 ₱89.6

-18.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.4

$1.02 ₱64.6

-8.82%

Eggs

$2.04 ₱130

$2.19 ₱139

-6.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.67 ₱297

$7.47 ₱475

-37.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ₱212

$4.86 ₱309

-31.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 ₱502

$6.98 ₱444

13.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$3.28 ₱208

-31.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱98.8

$1.81 ₱115

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱151

$2.90 ₱185

-17.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₱66.8

$1.91 ₱122

-45.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 ₱105

$2.30 ₱146

-28.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱107

$2.69 ₱171

-37.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ₱55.5

$2.18 ₱139

-60.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.35

$0.57 ₱36.47

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₱189

$3.07 ₱195

-2.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₱545

$9.34 ₱594

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱57.4

$1.27 ₱81.0

-29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱124

$2.05 ₱130

-4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.34

$0.33 ₱21.01

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.29 ₱781

$12.80 ₱814

-3.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.62

$0.78 ₱49.28

-2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.94

$0.20 ₱12.70

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱123

$1.85 ₱118

4.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₱58.0

$1.31 ₱83.3

-30.53%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.04%

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

$18.6K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-4.34%

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

$136 ₱8,669

$109 ₱6,946

24.81%

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

$10.33 ₱657

$15.71 ₱999

-34.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.72 ₱1,444

$24.58 ₱1,563

-7.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.67 ₱1,950

$41.75 ₱2,655

-26.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.33 ₱339

$5.84 ₱372

-8.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ₱316

$6.42 ₱408

-22.59%

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

$131 ₱8,297

$606 ₱38.5K

-78.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱671.7K

$7,674 ₱487.9K

37.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.11 ₱1,787

$55.8 ₱3,550

-49.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.23 ₱1,223

$28.57 ₱1,817

-32.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.9 ₱3,427

$68.9 ₱4,381

-21.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 ₱3,547

$58.3 ₱3,706

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 ₱15.7K

$533 ₱33.9K

-53.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₱10.5K

$289 ₱18.4K

-42.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 ₱30.5K

$1,916 ₱121.8K

-75.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱22.4K

$780 ₱49.6K

-54.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,605 ₱165.6K

$4,078 ₱259.3K

-36.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 ₱70.8K

$2,432 ₱154.6K

-54.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.1K

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 Cauayan City: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cauayan City

$173 24.5%

Manila

$219 23.7% 26.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cauayan City

$169 23.9%

Manila

$150 16.2% 11.7% $20

Accommodation & Living

Cauayan City

$166 23.4%

Manila

$289 31.4% 74.5% $123

Eating Out

Cauayan City

$74 10.4%

Manila

$99 10.8% 34.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Cauayan City

$71 10%

Manila

$95 10.3% 34.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Cauayan City

$41 5.7%

Manila

$55 5.9% 34.4% $14

Getting Around

Cauayan City

$15 2.1%

Manila

$16 1.7% 5.2% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $247 in Cauayan City 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Cauayan City versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $219 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cauayan City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

Same time as Cauayan City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,616

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cauayan City Manila 280 km

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $708 in Cauayan City, $922 in Manila – Cauayan City comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,062 per month in Cauayan City 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 Cauayan City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $247 there versus $533 in Manila.

Kindergarten costs $131 per month in Cauayan City and $606 in Manila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Manila, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $708 in Cauayan City and $922 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Cauayan City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 23% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.