Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Philippines Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Philippines

Name: Philippines
Address: PH

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $363 in India versus $701 in Philippines.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $575 in India versus $1,071 in Philippines.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $786 in India versus $1,441 in Philippines.

Living in India costs about 48% less than in Philippines on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 73% lower, Philippines 49% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Philippines: monthly costs span $374 to $1,226, compared to $230–$823 in India. City choice carries more weight in Philippines.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ₹202

$3.88 ₱244

-45.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.62 ₹1,018

$21.14 ₱1,327

-49.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.62 ₹347

$3.13 ₱197

15.65%

Cappuccino

$1.65 ₹159

$2.26 ₱142

-26.99%

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

$0.38 ₹36.27

$0.74 ₱46.16

-48.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.45

$0.36 ₱22.75

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 ₹179

$1.29 ₱80.8

44.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₹309

$2.05 ₱128

57.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹64.9

$1.73 ₱108

-60.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹47.26

$1.21 ₱76.0

-59.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₹63.3

$0.89 ₱55.6

-25.84%

Eggs

$0.87 ₹83.6

$1.95 ₱123

-55.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.76 ₹456

$7.16 ₱450

-33.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.79 ₹267

$4.10 ₱257

-31.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.05 ₱442

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ₹188

$2.86 ₱179

-31.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹65.2

$1.41 ₱88.2

-51.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 ₹90.8

$2.43 ₱152

-60.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ₹48.29

$1.46 ₱91.5

-65.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.35

$2.17 ₱136

-84.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.88

$2.55 ₱160

-85.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 ₹42.88

$1.37 ₱85.9

-67.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.81

$0.67 ₱42.19

-53.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹489

$2.79 ₱175

82.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 ₹684

$6.33 ₱397

12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₹163

$1.16 ₱72.9

46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₹256

$1.71 ₱107

56.14%

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

$5.12 ₹491

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₹26.09

$0.24 ₱14.96

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.56 ₹821

$12.63 ₱792

-32.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 ₹86.7

$0.83 ₱51.8

8.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.69

$0.21 ₱13.14

19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ₹155

$1.95 ₱123

-16.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.05 ₱66.0

1.90%

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

$12.5K ₹1.2M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-40.60%

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

$19.6K ₹1.9M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

0.51%

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

$37.89 ₹3,633

$102 ₱6,427

-63.01%

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

$3.61 ₹346

$14.12 ₱886

-74.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.92 ₹664

$26.88 ₱1,687

-74.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.49 ₹1,389

$31.05 ₱1,948

-53.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 ₹686

$5.88 ₱369

21.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.15 ₹302

$5.58 ₱350

-43.55%

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

$57.2 ₹5,483

$142 ₱8,907

-59.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,669 ₹160.0K

$5,830 ₱365.8K

-71.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.52 ₹2,160

$44.37 ₱2,784

-49.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.70 ₹2,368

$24.29 ₱1,524

1.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.36 ₹3,870

$68.2 ₱4,279

-40.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.64 ₹2,938

$61.5 ₱3,857

-50.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ₹14.0K

$326 ₱20.4K

-55.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.2 ₹8,553

$182 ₱11.5K

-51.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 ₹32.0K

$658 ₱41.3K

-49.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.5K

$358 ₱22.5K

-40.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,206 ₹115.7K

$3,127 ₱196.2K

-61.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$613 ₹58.8K

$1,454 ₱91.2K

-57.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 ₹41.7K

$325 ₱20.4K

33.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

7.17

24.55%

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

Last update for India: September 13, 2026

Last update for Philippines: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $119 in India, $250 in Philippines. Capital cities: $270 in Delhi vs $545 in Manila.

National salary averages: $405 in India, $292 in Philippines. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 110% higher in Philippines.

Dining out costs 80% more in Philippines.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in Philippines.

Salaries are 39% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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

India vs Philippines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $527 per month in India and $800 in Philippines, there's a 52% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Philippines is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Philippines it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; Philippines may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.