Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laoag City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Laoag City: $743 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 Laoag City
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Laoag City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Laoag City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$743

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $743 per month in Laoag City vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Laoag City $743
Manila $948

A couple spends around $1,112 per month in Laoag City vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Laoag City $1,112
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,480 per month in Laoag City vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Laoag City $1,480
Manila $2,068

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 ₱215

$5.46 ₱344

-37.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.52 ₱1,040

$26.93 ₱1,695

-38.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.94 ₱185

$3.90 ₱246

-24.62%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱160

$2.62 ₱165

-3.05%

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

$0.67 ₱42.11

$1.36 ₱85.5

-50.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.52

$0.83 ₱52.3

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.3

$1.22 ₱76.9

-18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₱117

$2.32 ₱146

-20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ₱102

$1.96 ₱123

-16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ₱73.8

$1.42 ₱89.1

-17.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$1.04 ₱65.4

-11.54%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$2.23 ₱140

-12.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.25 ₱331

$7.70 ₱485

-31.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₱271

$4.91 ₱309

-12.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 ₱456

$7.12 ₱448

1.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$3.23 ₱204

-25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$1.92 ₱121

-15.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ₱154

$2.93 ₱184

-16.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ₱74.6

$1.79 ₱113

-33.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.32 ₱146

-16.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ₱119

$2.73 ₱172

-31.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₱63.3

$2.12 ₱133

-52.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱33.73

$0.59 ₱37.25

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$3.18 ₱200

-9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 ₱464

$9.81 ₱618

-24.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₱59.5

$1.34 ₱84.1

-29.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.00 ₱126

-3.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.39

$0.47 ₱29.47

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.99 ₱755

$12.56 ₱791

-4.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱45.76

$0.73 ₱46.07

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.14

$0.21 ₱13.20

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₱138

$1.87 ₱118

17.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱64.6

$1.28 ₱80.6

-19.53%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

1.29%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-1.42%

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

$136 ₱8,542

$124 ₱7,822

9.20%

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

$14.48 ₱912

$15.73 ₱990

-7.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.79 ₱1,561

$24.40 ₱1,536

1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.51 ₱2,047

$43.31 ₱2,727

-24.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 ₱321

$5.79 ₱365

-11.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱316

$6.76 ₱425

-25.59%

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

$133 ₱8,385

$630 ₱39.7K

-78.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,190 ₱515.6K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-9.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.49 ₱2,108

$58.3 ₱3,668

-42.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.72 ₱1,242

$27.34 ₱1,721

-27.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ₱4,481

$75.6 ₱4,758

-5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,483

$56.6 ₱3,564

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₱17.0K

$536 ₱33.8K

-49.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 ₱10.8K

$284 ₱17.9K

-39.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₱32.3K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-72.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₱20.7K

$654 ₱41.2K

-49.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₱153.3K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-45.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 ₱68.4K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-57.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 ₱10.2K

$467 ₱29.4K

-65.33%

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 Laoag 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

Laoag City

$179 24.2%

Manila

$222 23.5% 23.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laoag City

$175 23.5%

Manila

$164 17.3% 6% $11

Accommodation & Living

Laoag City

$171 23%

Manila

$284 29.9% 65.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Laoag City

$81 10.9%

Manila

$98 10.3% 21.2% $17

Eating Out

Laoag City

$79 10.7%

Manila

$106 11.2% 34.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Laoag City

$43 5.7%

Manila

$57 6% 33.5% $14

Getting Around

Laoag City

$15 2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 8.3% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $270 in Laoag 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 188% 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 $17.00 in Laoag City versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $222 – making Laoag City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Laoag City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

Same time as Laoag City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,117

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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Laoag City Manila 400 km

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Laoag City
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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

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

Manila costs about 28% more than Laoag City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,115 per month in Laoag 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 Laoag City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $743 in Laoag City and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 28%.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Laoag City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $743, than in Manila at $948. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Laoag City costs $743 versus $948 in Manila. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Laoag 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.