Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iloilo and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $686 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Iloilo
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Iloilo Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Iloilo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$686

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $686 per month in Iloilo vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Iloilo $686
Manila $948

A couple spends around $1,038 per month in Iloilo vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Iloilo $1,038
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Iloilo vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Iloilo $1,390
Manila $2,068

Iloilo is about 28% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Iloilo and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Iloilo 49% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.72 ₱171

$5.46 ₱344

-50.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.73 ₱1,179

$26.93 ₱1,695

-30.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.23 ₱203

$3.90 ₱246

-17.18%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ₱127

$2.62 ₱165

-22.90%

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

$0.63 ₱39.83

$1.36 ₱85.5

-53.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.48

$0.83 ₱52.3

-62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₱69.0

$1.22 ₱76.9

-9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱109

$2.32 ₱146

-25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₱105

$1.96 ₱123

-15.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.3

$1.42 ₱89.1

-18.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.5

$1.04 ₱65.4

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$2.23 ₱140

-9.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.02 ₱379

$7.70 ₱485

-21.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 ₱259

$4.91 ₱309

-16.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 ₱383

$7.12 ₱448

-14.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.23 ₱204

2.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₱68.1

$1.92 ₱121

-43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 ₱186

$2.93 ₱184

0.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ₱90.1

$1.79 ₱113

-20.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$2.32 ₱146

-1.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 ₱171

$2.73 ₱172

-0.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ₱91.6

$2.12 ₱133

-31.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₱52.6

$0.59 ₱37.25

42.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$3.18 ₱200

-6.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

$9.81 ₱618

-35.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₱69.2

$1.34 ₱84.1

-17.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$2.00 ₱126

-37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.83

$0.47 ₱29.47

-53.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.68 ₱294

$12.56 ₱791

-62.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.87

$0.73 ₱46.07

6.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₱21.29

$0.21 ₱13.20

61.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 ₱153

$1.87 ₱118

30.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₱76.4

$1.28 ₱80.6

-5.47%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

1.32%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

1.50%

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

$62.7 ₱3,947

$124 ₱7,822

-49.54%

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

$9.43 ₱594

$15.73 ₱990

-40.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.38 ₱1,724

$24.40 ₱1,536

12.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.34 ₱588

$43.31 ₱2,727

-78.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 ₱308

$6.76 ₱425

-27.66%

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

$32.47 ₱2,044

$630 ₱39.7K

-94.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.44 ₱1,476

$58.3 ₱3,668

-59.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.15 ₱1,080

$27.34 ₱1,721

-37.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.7 ₱3,570

$75.6 ₱4,758

-24.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.75 ₱1,496

$56.6 ₱3,564

-58.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 ₱19.3K

$536 ₱33.8K

-42.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 ₱15.7K

$284 ₱17.9K

-12.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 ₱74.0K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-37.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ₱27.5K

$654 ₱41.2K

-33.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 ₱235.9K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-15.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,026 ₱64.6K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-59.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 ₱12.7K

$467 ₱29.4K

-56.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.33

7.43

-1.35%

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

Last update for Iloilo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iloilo

$249 36.3%

Manila

$284 29.9% 13.9% $35

Groceries & Markets

Iloilo

$188 27.4%

Manila

$222 23.5% 18.5% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iloilo

$100 14.5%

Manila

$164 17.3% 65.2% $65

Eating Out

Iloilo

$68 10%

Manila

$106 11.2% 55.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Iloilo

$54 7.9%

Manila

$98 10.3% 79.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Iloilo

$19 2.8%

Manila

$57 6% 197% $38

Getting Around

Iloilo

$8 1.2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 102% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $306 in Iloilo 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 132% 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 $19.00 in Iloilo versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $222 – making Iloilo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Iloilo

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

Same time as Iloilo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

457,626

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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Iloilo
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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

Iloilo vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,029 per month in Iloilo 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 Iloilo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Iloilo and $27.00 in Manila. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $686 in Iloilo and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iloilo, where all-in costs run around $686, than in Manila at $948. In Iloilo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iloilo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Iloilo. 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.