Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between General Santos and Silchar

For one person, living is cheaper in Silchar: $279 a month against $628 in General Santos, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in General Santos
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General Santos Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Silchar
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Silchar Living Index

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General Santos

🇵🇭 Philippines

$628

/mo nomad

Silchar

🇮🇳 India

$279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in General Santos and in Silchar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in General Santos and in Silchar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in General Santos versus $279 in Silchar.

General Santos $628
Silchar $279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,009 in General Santos versus $434 in Silchar.

General Santos $1,009
Silchar $434

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,391 in General Santos versus $590 in Silchar.

General Santos $1,391
Silchar $590

Living in General Santos is roughly 125% more expensive than in Silchar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: General Santos 53% lower, Silchar 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 ₱213

$1.29 ₹123

162.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.40 ₱1,725

$7.49 ₹711

265.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱172

$5.15 ₹489

-47.18%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$0.65 ₹61.4

293.85%

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

$0.28 ₱17.41

$0.22 ₹20.93

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₱15.83

$0.17 ₹15.98

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₱99.3

$1.27 ₹121

24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.83 ₹174

27.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$0.66 ₹62.3

203.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱68.2

$0.44 ₹41.44

145.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ₱54.7

$0.51 ₹48.62

70.59%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱117

$0.97 ₹91.7

91.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 ₱402

$3.93 ₹373

62.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 ₱300

$2.81 ₹267

69.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ₱582

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ₱172

$1.96 ₹186

39.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$0.67 ₹63.8

59.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₱154

$0.94 ₹89.2

160.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ₱74.6

$0.62 ₹58.4

91.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 ₱125

$0.32 ₹30.35

518.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₱207

$0.35 ₹32.98

837.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.2

$0.32 ₹30.80

287.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.60

$0.27 ₹25.30

151.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₱155

$3.75 ₹356

-34.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 ₱488

$5.31 ₹504

46.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.5

$1.39 ₹132

-10.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.96 ₹186

-14.29%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.71 ₹448

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₱24.37

$1.04 ₹98.6

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 ₱513

$5.19 ₹493

57.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.25

$0.73 ₹69.4

6.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.79

$0.30 ₹28.76

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.4

$1.34 ₹127

-38.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₱70.7

$1.06 ₹101

5.66%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

67.99%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$15.9K ₹1.5M

20.23%

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

$76.6 ₱4,825

$23.58 ₹2,239

225.02%

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

$6.53 ₱411

$2.99 ₹283

118.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 ₱1,994

$6.21 ₹589

409.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.24 ₹973

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 ₱309

$3.18 ₹302

54.40%

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

$109 ₱6,840

$15.78 ₹1,499

588.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,532 ₱474.2K

$2,247 ₹213.4K

235.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₱3,767

$16.83 ₹1,599

255.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 ₱1,931

$30.32 ₹2,879

1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 ₱4,428

$36.86 ₹3,500

90.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,823

$26.70 ₹2,536

127.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.0K

$52.1 ₹4,950

234.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₱7,068

$31.84 ₹3,024

252.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.6K

$103 ₹9,733

250.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₱15.0K

$62.9 ₹5,976

278.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$570 ₹54.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$514 ₹48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$289 ₹27.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.38

12.60%

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

Last update for General Santos: October 11, 2026

Last update for Silchar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

General Santos

$199 31.7%

Silchar

$91 32.6% 54.3% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

General Santos

$115 18.3%

Silchar

$33 11.8% 71.5% $82

Accommodation & Living

General Santos

$112 17.9%

Silchar

$32 11.4% 71.6% $80

Clothing & Footwear

General Santos

$100 15.9%

Silchar

$50 17.9% 50% $50

Eating Out

General Santos

$81 12.8%

Silchar

$45 16.2% 44% $35

Getting Around

General Santos

$12 1.9%

Silchar

$12 4.2% 1.3% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

General Santos

$9.8 * 1.6%

Silchar

$17 6% 69.1% $6.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $174 in General Santos and $52.1 in Silchar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in General Santos vs $7.00 in Silchar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $91.0 per month, with Silchar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 General Santos

🇮🇳 Silchar

🕒 Local time

11:10 11:10 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

2 h 30 min behind General Santos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

697,315

172,800

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

General Santos Silchar 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

General Santos
Silchar

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

General Santos vs Silchar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Silchar wins on cost – living expenses run 125% lower than in General Santos. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Silchar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $942 in General Santos and $418 in Silchar 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: $174 in General Santos versus $52.1 in Silchar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Silchar – a meal for two runs $7.00 versus $27.00 in General Santos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $628 per month in General Santos versus $279 in Silchar – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Silchar 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, General Santos and Silchar 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 Silchar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in General Santos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.