Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Island Garden City of Samal and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $706 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$706

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $706 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $706
Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,082 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,082
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,458 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,458
Manila $2,199

Island Garden City of Samal is about 25% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Island Garden City of Samal and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Island Garden City of Samal 48% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 ₱72.9

$5.34 ₱342

-78.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.35 ₱1,046

$26.46 ₱1,693

-38.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.79 ₱243

$3.93 ₱252

-3.56%

Cappuccino

$2.11 ₱135

$2.53 ₱162

-16.60%

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

$1.06 ₱67.6

$1.35 ₱86.4

-21.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱42.32

$0.82 ₱52.3

-19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ₱73.8

$1.14 ₱72.9

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₱135

$2.38 ₱152

-11.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₱127

$1.91 ₱122

3.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱68.5

$1.44 ₱92.2

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱57.3

$0.94 ₱60.4

-5.32%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱119

$2.30 ₱147

-19.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₱407

$7.41 ₱474

-14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 ₱304

$4.61 ₱295

2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₱599

$6.65 ₱425

40.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱172

$3.29 ₱211

-18.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₱70.7

$1.80 ₱115

-38.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱154

$3.00 ₱192

-19.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.76 ₱112

-35.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱122

$2.22 ₱142

-13.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 ₱212

$2.66 ₱170

24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱76.1

$2.14 ₱137

-44.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱42.07

$0.53 ₱34.17

24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 ₱156

$3.06 ₱196

-20.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₱502

$9.57 ₱612

-18.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.2

$1.30 ₱83.4

-2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₱106

$1.99 ₱127

-17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱13.11

$0.40 ₱25.87

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.01 ₱705

$12.75 ₱816

-13.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.74

$0.72 ₱46.04

5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.36

$0.23 ₱14.74

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 ₱117

$1.84 ₱118

-1.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱78.2

$1.27 ₱81.1

-3.94%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-0.45%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.69%

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

$99.2 ₱6,344

$120 ₱7,652

-17.09%

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

$18.94 ₱1,212

$15.69 ₱1,004

20.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.09 ₱1,990

$23.60 ₱1,510

31.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.50 ₱1,760

$42.57 ₱2,724

-35.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.11 ₱327

$5.65 ₱361

-9.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 ₱304

$6.50 ₱416

-26.77%

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

$107 ₱6,835

$599 ₱38.3K

-82.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,424 ₱475.1K

$8,818 ₱564.2K

-15.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.48 ₱2,079

$56.7 ₱3,626

-42.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 ₱1,212

$27.40 ₱1,753

-30.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 ₱4,427

$76.4 ₱4,885

-9.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.0 ₱3,902

$55.5 ₱3,552

9.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 ₱14.0K

$526 ₱33.7K

-58.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ₱10.4K

$297 ₱19.0K

-45.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ₱31.8K

$1,887 ₱120.7K

-73.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ₱21.5K

$816 ₱52.2K

-58.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,516 ₱161.0K

$3,968 ₱253.9K

-36.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,212 ₱77.6K

$2,366 ₱151.4K

-48.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.43

11.84%

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

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Island Garden City of Samal

$198 28.1%

Manila

$216 22.9% 9.2% $18

Accommodation & Living

Island Garden City of Samal

$163 23.1%

Manila

$297 31.4% 81.8% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Island Garden City of Samal

$149 21.1%

Manila

$159 16.8% 6.5% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Island Garden City of Samal

$82 11.6%

Manila

$97 10.3% 18.9% $15

Eating Out

Island Garden City of Samal

$63 8.9%

Manila

$104 11% 65.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Island Garden City of Samal

$37 5.2%

Manila

$56 5.9% 50.1% $19

Getting Around

Island Garden City of Samal

$14 2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 17.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $219 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $526 in Manila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $216 – making Island Garden City of Samal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

18:49 6:49 PM

Same time as Island Garden City of Samal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,771

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Island Garden City of Samal Manila 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Island Garden City of Samal
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

Island Garden City of Samal vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila costs about 34% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,059 per month in Island Garden City of Samal and $1,418 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $219 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $706 in Island Garden City of Samal and $945 in Manila. That’s a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Island Garden City of Samal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Island Garden City of Samal, where all-in costs run around $706, than in Manila at $945. In Island Garden City of Samal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Island Garden City of Samal – 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.

For expats, Island Garden City of Samal is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 34% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.