Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maasin City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Maasin City: $731 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Maasin City
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Maasin City Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Maasin City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Maasin City versus $922 in Manila.

Maasin City $731
Manila $922

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,126 in Maasin City versus $1,531 in Manila.

Maasin City $1,126
Manila $1,531

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,521 in Maasin City versus $2,140 in Manila.

Maasin City $1,521
Manila $2,140

Living in Maasin City costs roughly 21% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maasin City 46% lower, Manila 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 ₱251

$4.66 ₱296

-15.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.11 ₱1,469

$26.32 ₱1,673

-12.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.86 ₱245

$4.02 ₱256

-3.98%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.51 ₱159

0.80%

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

$0.63 ₱39.98

$1.37 ₱87.2

-54.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.81

$0.89 ₱56.5

-43.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 ₱106

$1.20 ₱76.1

39.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₱136

$2.34 ₱149

-8.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₱120

$1.87 ₱119

1.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$1.41 ₱89.6

-19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₱52.0

$1.02 ₱64.6

-19.61%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱117

$2.19 ₱139

-16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.76 ₱303

$7.47 ₱475

-36.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₱273

$4.86 ₱309

-11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 ₱472

$6.98 ₱444

6.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.7

$3.28 ₱208

-53.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 ₱38.80

$1.81 ₱115

-66.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ₱102

$2.90 ₱185

-44.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ₱96.3

$1.91 ₱122

-20.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱150

$2.30 ₱146

2.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ₱124

$2.69 ₱171

-27.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.1

$2.18 ₱139

-49.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.46

$0.57 ₱36.47

3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱179

$3.07 ₱195

-8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 ₱392

$9.34 ₱594

-33.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₱76.6

$1.27 ₱81.0

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₱105

$2.05 ₱130

-19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.27

$0.33 ₱21.01

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.16 ₱773

$12.80 ₱814

-5.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.56

$0.78 ₱49.28

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.85 ₱118

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₱86.7

$1.31 ₱83.3

3.82%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.54%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.86%

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

$119 ₱7,566

$109 ₱6,946

8.92%

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

$15.32 ₱974

$15.71 ₱999

-2.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.59 ₱1,754

$24.58 ₱1,563

12.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.54 ₱2,005

$41.75 ₱2,655

-24.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.33 ₱339

$5.84 ₱372

-8.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ₱352

$6.42 ₱408

-13.71%

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

$132 ₱8,362

$606 ₱38.5K

-78.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,821 ₱497.3K

$7,674 ₱487.9K

1.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.36 ₱2,058

$55.8 ₱3,550

-42.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.28 ₱1,226

$28.57 ₱1,817

-32.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 ₱4,820

$68.9 ₱4,381

10.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,677

$58.3 ₱3,706

-0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 ₱16.1K

$533 ₱33.9K

-52.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$289 ₱18.4K

-41.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 ₱30.5K

$1,916 ₱121.8K

-74.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₱22.3K

$780 ₱49.6K

-54.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,608 ₱165.8K

$4,078 ₱259.3K

-36.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 ₱71.0K

$2,432 ₱154.6K

-54.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 ₱7,923

$505 ₱32.1K

-75.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.43

-3.10%

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

Last update for Maasin City: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maasin City

$170 23.2%

Manila

$289 31.4% 70.4% $119

Groceries & Markets

Maasin City

$168 23%

Manila

$219 23.7% 29.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maasin City

$162 22.1%

Manila

$150 16.2% 7.6% $12

Eating Out

Maasin City

$91 12.4%

Manila

$99 10.8% 9.4% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Maasin City

$83 11.4%

Manila

$95 10.3% 14.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Maasin City

$43 5.8%

Manila

$55 5.9% 28.1% $12

Getting Around

Maasin City

$15 2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 6.9% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Maasin City and $533 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Maasin City vs $26 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $219 per month, with Maasin City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Maasin City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

Same time as Maasin City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,560

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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Between locations

Maasin City Manila 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Maasin City
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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

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

Maasin City is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Maasin City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $253 in Maasin City versus $533 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maasin City – a meal for two runs $23 versus $26 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Maasin City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.