Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dumaguete and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Dumaguete: $790 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
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Dumaguete Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$790

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $790 in Dumaguete versus $945 in Manila.

Dumaguete $790
Manila $945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,195 in Dumaguete versus $1,572 in Manila.

Dumaguete $1,195
Manila $1,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,600 in Dumaguete versus $2,199 in Manila.

Dumaguete $1,600
Manila $2,199

Living in Dumaguete costs roughly 16% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dumaguete 42% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ₱243

$5.34 ₱340

-28.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.47 ₱985

$26.46 ₱1,685

-41.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 ₱269

$3.93 ₱251

7.63%

Cappuccino

$2.22 ₱141

$2.53 ₱161

-12.25%

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

$0.72 ₱45.55

$1.35 ₱86.0

-46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₱27.08

$0.82 ₱52.1

-47.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₱87.2

$1.14 ₱72.6

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₱116

$2.38 ₱152

-23.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₱106

$1.91 ₱121

-13.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ₱83.5

$1.44 ₱91.8

-9.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.8

$0.94 ₱60.1

-2.13%

Eggs

$1.79 ₱114

$2.30 ₱147

-22.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 ₱546

$7.41 ₱472

15.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 ₱280

$4.61 ₱294

-4.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.86 ₱437

$6.65 ₱423

3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.9

$3.29 ₱210

-53.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.80 ₱114

-29.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 ₱219

$3.00 ₱191

14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ₱81.2

$1.76 ₱112

-27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ₱160

$2.22 ₱141

13.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 ₱100

$2.66 ₱169

-40.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 ₱51.9

$2.14 ₱136

-62.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.24

$0.53 ₱34.01

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₱148

$3.06 ₱195

-24.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 ₱538

$9.57 ₱609

-11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₱72.5

$1.30 ₱83.0

-12.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$1.99 ₱127

-36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₱19.05

$0.40 ₱25.75

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ₱722

$12.75 ₱812

-11.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.85

$0.72 ₱45.82

-4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.15 ₱9.40

$0.23 ₱14.67

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 ₱135

$1.84 ₱117

15.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱69.5

$1.27 ₱80.8

-14.17%

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

$20.2K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-2.33%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

1.97%

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

$66.5 ₱4,232

$120 ₱7,617

-44.44%

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

$9.65 ₱615

$15.69 ₱999

-38.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.12 ₱1,664

$23.60 ₱1,503

10.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.13 ₱1,983

$42.57 ₱2,711

-26.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.83 ₱244

$5.65 ₱360

-32.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ₱458

$6.50 ₱414

10.62%

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

$56.4 ₱3,595

$599 ₱38.1K

-90.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,650 ₱105.1K

$8,818 ₱561.6K

-81.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 ₱5,925

$56.7 ₱3,609

64.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.24 ₱1,990

$27.40 ₱1,745

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₱6,390

$76.4 ₱4,863

31.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₱7,040

$55.5 ₱3,535

99.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 ₱14.9K

$526 ₱33.5K

-55.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 ₱12.9K

$297 ₱18.9K

-31.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₱26.5K

$1,887 ₱120.2K

-77.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₱21.9K

$816 ₱52.0K

-57.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,045 ₱193.9K

$3,968 ₱252.7K

-23.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 ₱42.9K

$2,366 ₱150.7K

-71.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 ₱17.7K

$466 ₱29.7K

-40.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

-5.79%

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

Last update for Dumaguete: October 24, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dumaguete

$202 25.6%

Manila

$297 31.4% 46.7% $94

Groceries & Markets

Dumaguete

$190 24.1%

Manila

$216 22.9% 13.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Dumaguete

$151 19.1%

Manila

$97 10.3% 35.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dumaguete

$102 12.9%

Manila

$159 16.8% 55.4% $57

Eating Out

Dumaguete

$85 10.8%

Manila

$104 11% 22.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Dumaguete

$46 5.8%

Manila

$56 5.9% 22.1% $10

Getting Around

Dumaguete

$14 1.8%

Manila

$16 1.7% 16.3% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Dumaguete and $526 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 68% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in Dumaguete vs $26 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $216 per month, with Dumaguete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

19:56 7:56 PM

Same time as Dumaguete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,103

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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Between locations

Dumaguete Manila 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dumaguete
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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

Dumaguete vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $790 in Dumaguete and $945 in Manila, so Dumaguete is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Dumaguete. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $233 in Dumaguete versus $526 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $790 per month in Dumaguete versus $945 in Manila – Dumaguete is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dumaguete runs roughly 11% less than in Manila. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Dumaguete gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Dumaguete and Manila are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Dumaguete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.