Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotabato City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $738 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
Learn more

Cotabato City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index

Jump to prices

Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$738

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $738 in Cotabato City versus $945 in Manila.

Cotabato City $738
Manila $945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,139 in Cotabato City versus $1,572 in Manila.

Cotabato City $1,139
Manila $1,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,539 in Cotabato City versus $2,199 in Manila.

Cotabato City $1,539
Manila $2,199

Living in Cotabato City costs roughly 22% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cotabato City 46% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 ₱307

$5.34 ₱341

-9.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.14 ₱1,031

$26.46 ₱1,691

-39.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.97 ₱254

$3.93 ₱251

1.02%

Cappuccino

$2.17 ₱139

$2.53 ₱162

-14.23%

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

$1.06 ₱67.6

$1.35 ₱86.2

-21.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₱39.75

$0.82 ₱52.2

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱73.1

$1.14 ₱72.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱133

$2.38 ₱152

-12.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.91 ₱122

5.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.44 ₱92.1

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₱48.19

$0.94 ₱60.3

-20.21%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱121

$2.30 ₱147

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.44 ₱411

$7.41 ₱473

-13.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₱293

$4.61 ₱295

-0.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.44 ₱603

$6.65 ₱425

41.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ₱176

$3.29 ₱211

-16.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₱70.0

$1.80 ₱115

-38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱153

$3.00 ₱192

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.7

$1.76 ₱112

-33.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 ₱126

$2.22 ₱142

-11.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 ₱211

$2.66 ₱170

24.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.9

$2.14 ₱137

-42.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱42.15

$0.53 ₱34.12

24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 ₱154

$3.06 ₱196

-21.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 ₱513

$9.57 ₱611

-16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$1.30 ₱83.3

-2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱105

$1.99 ₱127

-17.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.98

$0.40 ₱25.83

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ₱723

$12.75 ₱815

-11.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.30

$0.72 ₱45.97

5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.23 ₱14.72

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.84 ₱117

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱70.2

$1.27 ₱81.0

-13.39%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

0.52%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.54%

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

$108 ₱6,875

$120 ₱7,641

-10.03%

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

$18.43 ₱1,178

$15.69 ₱1,003

17.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.97 ₱1,978

$23.60 ₱1,508

31.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.96 ₱1,978

$42.57 ₱2,720

-27.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.25 ₱335

$5.65 ₱361

-7.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 ₱302

$6.50 ₱415

-27.23%

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

$105 ₱6,684

$599 ₱38.3K

-82.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,282 ₱465.3K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

-17.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.48 ₱2,075

$56.7 ₱3,621

-42.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.49 ₱1,246

$27.40 ₱1,751

-28.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₱4,438

$76.4 ₱4,878

-9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.5 ₱3,862

$55.5 ₱3,546

8.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 ₱14.3K

$526 ₱33.6K

-57.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 ₱9,753

$297 ₱19.0K

-48.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₱28.6K

$1,887 ₱120.5K

-76.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ₱21.3K

$816 ₱52.1K

-59.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,692 ₱172.0K

$3,968 ₱253.5K

-32.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,003 ₱64.1K

$2,366 ₱151.2K

-57.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.43

11.84%

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

Last update for Cotabato City: 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

Cotabato City

$199 26.9%

Manila

$216 22.9% 8.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotabato City

$157 21.3%

Manila

$159 16.8% 1.2% $1.9

Accommodation & Living

Cotabato City

$153 20.7%

Manila

$297 31.4% 94.4% $144

Eating Out

Cotabato City

$93 12.6%

Manila

$104 11% 11.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Cotabato City

$82 11.1%

Manila

$97 10.3% 18.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cotabato City

$40 5.5%

Manila

$56 5.9% 37.5% $15

Getting Around

Cotabato City

$14 1.9%

Manila

$16 1.7% 15.7% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $224 in Cotabato City and $526 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in Cotabato City vs $26 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $216 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

Same time as Cotabato City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,079

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cotabato City Manila 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cotabato City
Manila

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

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

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Manila. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,107 in Cotabato City and $1,418 in Manila to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $224 in Cotabato City versus $526 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $738 per month in Cotabato City versus $945 in Manila – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 11% less than in Manila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.