Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dasmarinas and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Dasmarinas: $496 a month against $943 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Dasmarinas
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Dasmarinas Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Dasmarinas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $496 in Dasmarinas versus $943 in Manila.

Dasmarinas $496
Manila $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $738 in Dasmarinas versus $1,505 in Manila.

Dasmarinas $738
Manila $1,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $980 in Dasmarinas versus $2,067 in Manila.

Dasmarinas $980
Manila $2,067

Living in Dasmarinas costs roughly 47% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dasmarinas 63% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 ₱257

$5.54 ₱349

-26.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.95 ₱1,067

$27.42 ₱1,726

-38.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱171

$3.96 ₱249

-31.57%

Cappuccino

$1.75 ₱110

$2.47 ₱156

-29.15%

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

$0.57 ₱35.76

$1.38 ₱86.9

-58.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.30

$0.83 ₱52.2

-62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 ₱60.1

$1.17 ₱73.7

-17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱99.4

$2.34 ₱147

-32.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₱87.5

$1.88 ₱118

-26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.5

$1.43 ₱89.8

-23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.36

$0.97 ₱61.4

-31.96%

Eggs

$1.79 ₱113

$2.29 ₱144

-21.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 ₱311

$7.53 ₱474

-34.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ₱219

$4.75 ₱299

-26.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.72 ₱297

$6.77 ₱427

-30.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$3.35 ₱211

-32.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱102

$1.84 ₱116

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$3.02 ₱190

-21.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.3

$1.83 ₱115

-41.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.23 ₱140

-21.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$2.59 ₱163

-33.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.39

$2.10 ₱132

-70.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.54

$0.59 ₱37.23

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₱181

$3.12 ₱197

-7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 ₱541

$9.49 ₱598

-9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱58.5

$1.31 ₱82.7

-29.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$2.01 ₱127

-1.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₱29.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.78 ₱805

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.96

$0.77 ₱48.39

1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$0.23 ₱14.50

8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱70.1

$1.29 ₱81.0

-13.95%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-0.96%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.79%

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

$48.45 ₱3,050

$125 ₱7,851

-61.14%

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

$17.55 ₱1,105

$15.84 ₱997

10.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.72 ₱1,494

$24.01 ₱1,511

-1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.43 ₱2,105

$41.84 ₱2,634

-20.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ₱371

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 ₱334

$6.62 ₱417

-19.94%

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

$134 ₱8,415

$612 ₱38.6K

-78.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱674.0K

$8,736 ₱550.0K

22.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.53 ₱1,796

$58.1 ₱3,655

-50.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.55 ₱1,231

$27.80 ₱1,750

-29.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ₱4,561

$76.9 ₱4,840

-5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,552

$56.5 ₱3,556

-0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ₱33.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$46.95 ₱2,956

$285 ₱17.9K

-83.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 ₱121.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ₱41.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,397 ₱276.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₱154.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$353 ₱22.2K

$478 ₱30.1K

-26.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

7.43

-13.86%

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

Last update for Dasmarinas: October 18, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dasmarinas

$160 32.3%

Manila

$219 23.2% 36.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dasmarinas

$90 18.1%

Manila

$165 17.4% 83.4% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Dasmarinas

$80 16.1%

Manila

$99 10.5% 23.9% $19

Eating Out

Dasmarinas

$73 14.8%

Manila

$105 11.2% 43.7% $32

Accommodation & Living

Dasmarinas

$47 9.5%

Manila

$285 30.2% 506% $238

Sport & Entertainment

Dasmarinas

$44 8.9%

Manila

$55 5.8% 25.1% $11

Getting Around

Dasmarinas

$2 * 0.4%

Manila

$17 1.8% 716% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

Manila pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Dasmarinas vs $27.00 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $219 per month, with Dasmarinas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dasmarinas

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

Same time as Dasmarinas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

659,019

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Dasmarinas vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dasmarinas and Manila differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($496 vs $943 including rent). Dasmarinas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Manila. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $134 in Dasmarinas versus $612 in Manila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dasmarinas – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $27.00 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $496 in Dasmarinas versus $943 in Manila, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dasmarinas but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Dasmarinas the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

Safety-wise, Dasmarinas and Manila are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dasmarinas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.