Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iligan City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $739 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Iligan City
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Iligan City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Iligan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in Iligan City vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Iligan City $739
Manila $948

A couple spends around $1,126 per month in Iligan City vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Iligan City $1,126
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,514 per month in Iligan City vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Iligan City $1,514
Manila $2,068

Iligan City is about 22% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iligan City and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Iligan City 45% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 ₱251

$5.46 ₱344

-26.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.85 ₱1,124

$26.93 ₱1,695

-33.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.74 ₱172

$3.90 ₱246

-29.74%

Cappuccino

$2.26 ₱142

$2.62 ₱165

-13.74%

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

$0.67 ₱42.01

$1.36 ₱85.5

-50.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.15

$0.83 ₱52.3

-59.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.1

$1.22 ₱76.9

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₱120

$2.32 ₱146

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₱129

$1.96 ₱123

4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱72.8

$1.42 ₱89.1

-18.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱56.7

$1.04 ₱65.4

-13.46%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱121

$2.23 ₱140

-13.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.66 ₱357

$7.70 ₱485

-26.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱265

$4.91 ₱309

-14.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 ₱457

$7.12 ₱448

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₱153

$3.23 ₱204

-25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.2

$1.92 ₱121

-19.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.93 ₱184

-20.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱73.7

$1.79 ₱113

-34.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ₱126

$2.32 ₱146

-13.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.73 ₱172

-29.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱57.8

$2.12 ₱133

-56.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱35.82

$0.59 ₱37.25

-3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$3.18 ₱200

-6.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 ₱476

$9.81 ₱618

-23.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.5

$1.34 ₱84.1

-28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱126

$2.00 ₱126

0.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.49

$0.47 ₱29.47

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.63 ₱795

$12.56 ₱791

0.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₱53.5

$0.73 ₱46.07

16.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.33

$0.21 ₱13.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.87 ₱118

7.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱73.6

$1.28 ₱80.6

-8.59%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

-0.94%

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

$16.8K ₱1.1M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-12.95%

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

$129 ₱8,095

$124 ₱7,822

3.49%

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

$15.31 ₱964

$15.73 ₱990

-2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 ₱1,519

$24.40 ₱1,536

-1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.95 ₱2,011

$43.31 ₱2,727

-26.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.61 ₱290

$5.79 ₱365

-20.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 ₱324

$6.76 ₱425

-23.96%

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

$131 ₱8,241

$630 ₱39.7K

-79.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,881 ₱559.2K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-1.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.30 ₱2,097

$58.3 ₱3,668

-42.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.10 ₱1,139

$27.34 ₱1,721

-33.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 ₱4,422

$75.6 ₱4,758

-7.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.70 ₱3,066

$56.6 ₱3,564

-13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$111 ₱6,985

$536 ₱33.8K

-79.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 ₱10.8K

$284 ₱17.9K

-39.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ₱32.4K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-72.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.5K

$654 ₱41.2K

-45.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,600 ₱163.7K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-41.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$875 ₱55.1K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-65.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 ₱12.5K

$467 ₱29.4K

-57.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.43

-8.61%

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

Last update for Iligan City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Iligan City

$184 24.9%

Manila

$222 23.5% 20.9% $38

Accommodation & Living

Iligan City

$172 23.2%

Manila

$284 29.9% 65.2% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iligan City

$168 22.7%

Manila

$164 17.3% 2.2% $3.7

Eating Out

Iligan City

$81 10.9%

Manila

$106 11.2% 31.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Iligan City

$77 10.4%

Manila

$98 10.3% 27.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Iligan City

$42 5.7%

Manila

$57 6% 34.6% $15

Getting Around

Iligan City

$16 2.1%

Manila

$16 1.7% 4% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $111 in Iligan City versus $536 in Manila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 136% higher in Manila, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Iligan City versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $222 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Iligan City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

Same time as Iligan City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,618

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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Between locations

Iligan City Manila 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Iligan 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $739 in Iligan City, $948 in Manila – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,108 per month in Iligan City and $1,422 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iligan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Iligan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $131 per month in Iligan City and $630 in Manila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Manila at $948. In Iligan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $739 in Iligan City to $948 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Iligan City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.