Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imus and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $644 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Imus
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Imus Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$644

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $644 per month in Imus vs $922 in Manila, rent included.

Imus $644
Manila $922

A couple spends around $960 per month in Imus vs $1,531 in Manila, rent included.

Imus $960
Manila $1,531

A family of three spends $1,276 per month in Imus vs $2,140 in Manila, rent included.

Imus $1,276
Manila $2,140

Imus is about 30% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Imus and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Imus 52% lower, Manila 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 ₱253

$4.66 ₱296

-14.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.17 ₱1,028

$26.32 ₱1,673

-38.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.68 ₱170

$4.02 ₱256

-33.33%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₱119

$2.51 ₱159

-25.90%

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

$0.54 ₱34.60

$1.37 ₱87.2

-60.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.24

$0.89 ₱56.5

-62.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ₱59.4

$1.20 ₱76.1

-22.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₱107

$2.34 ₱149

-27.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱106

$1.87 ₱119

-10.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.2

$1.41 ₱89.6

-18.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱63.1

$1.02 ₱64.6

-2.94%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱125

$2.19 ₱139

-10.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.66 ₱296

$7.47 ₱475

-37.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ₱218

$4.86 ₱309

-29.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.91 ₱503

$6.98 ₱444

13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₱138

$3.28 ₱208

-34.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₱96.5

$1.81 ₱115

-16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ₱150

$2.90 ₱185

-18.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$1.91 ₱122

-5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.30 ₱146

-24.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₱108

$2.69 ₱171

-36.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ₱60.6

$2.18 ₱139

-56.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.67

$0.57 ₱36.47

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱190

$3.07 ₱195

-2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 ₱548

$9.34 ₱594

-7.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₱67.3

$1.27 ₱81.0

-16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$2.05 ₱130

-1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.34

$0.33 ₱21.01

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.60 ₱801

$12.80 ₱814

-1.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.79

$0.78 ₱49.28

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.00

$0.20 ₱12.70

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱120

$1.85 ₱118

2.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱74.6

$1.31 ₱83.3

-10.69%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.23%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.36%

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

$123 ₱7,822

$109 ₱6,946

12.60%

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

$15.49 ₱985

$15.71 ₱999

-1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 ₱1,482

$24.58 ₱1,563

-5.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 ₱1,958

$41.75 ₱2,655

-26.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.27 ₱335

$5.84 ₱372

-9.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 ₱328

$6.42 ₱408

-19.63%

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

$132 ₱8,367

$606 ₱38.5K

-78.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,902 ₱566.0K

$7,674 ₱487.9K

16.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.85 ₱1,834

$55.8 ₱3,550

-48.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.46 ₱1,237

$28.57 ₱1,817

-31.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 ₱4,389

$68.9 ₱4,381

0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 ₱3,443

$58.3 ₱3,706

-7.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₱7,337

$533 ₱33.9K

-78.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.0 ₱6,166

$289 ₱18.4K

-66.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₱12.6K

$1,916 ₱121.8K

-89.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 ₱10.4K

$780 ₱49.6K

-78.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 ₱165.2K

$4,078 ₱259.3K

-36.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,091 ₱69.4K

$2,432 ₱154.6K

-55.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 ₱11.0K

$505 ₱32.1K

-65.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.43

-9.15%

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

Last update for Imus: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Imus

$178 27.6%

Manila

$219 23.7% 22.8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Imus

$162 25.1%

Manila

$150 16.2% 7.6% $12

Accommodation & Living

Imus

$97 15.1%

Manila

$289 31.4% 198% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Imus

$77 12%

Manila

$95 10.3% 23.4% $18

Eating Out

Imus

$74 11.5%

Manila

$99 10.8% 34.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Imus

$41 6.4%

Manila

$55 5.9% 32.8% $13

Getting Around

Imus

$15 2.4%

Manila

$16 1.7% 3% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $115 in Imus versus $533 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 in Manila are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Imus versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $219 – making Imus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Imus

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

Same time as Imus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

496,794

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Imus Manila 19 km

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Imus
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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

Imus vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $644 in Imus, $922 in Manila – Imus comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $967 per month in Imus and $1,383 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Imus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $115 there versus $533 in Manila.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Imus and $26 in Manila. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Manila, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $644 in Imus and $922 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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