Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaybalay and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaybalay: $756 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
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Malaybalay Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$756

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Malaybalay versus $948 in Manila.

Malaybalay $756
Manila $948

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Malaybalay versus $1,508 in Manila.

Malaybalay $1,182
Manila $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Malaybalay versus $2,068 in Manila.

Malaybalay $1,607
Manila $2,068

Living in Malaybalay costs roughly 20% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malaybalay 44% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 ₱308

$5.46 ₱344

-10.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.45 ₱1,035

$26.93 ₱1,695

-38.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 ₱221

$3.90 ₱246

-10.00%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱137

$2.62 ₱165

-16.79%

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

$0.49 ₱31.14

$1.36 ₱85.5

-63.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.93

$0.83 ₱52.3

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$1.22 ₱76.9

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.32 ₱146

-17.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.96 ₱123

3.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$1.42 ₱89.1

-20.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₱55.2

$1.04 ₱65.4

-15.38%

Eggs

$1.87 ₱118

$2.23 ₱140

-16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$7.70 ₱485

-16.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ₱307

$4.91 ₱309

-0.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ₱570

$7.12 ₱448

27.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ₱175

$3.23 ₱204

-14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.92 ₱121

-44.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱150

$2.93 ₱184

-18.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.8

$1.79 ₱113

-36.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$2.32 ₱146

-15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₱213

$2.73 ₱172

24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$2.12 ₱133

-43.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.82

$0.59 ₱37.25

11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 ₱156

$3.18 ₱200

-22.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱489

$9.81 ₱618

-20.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

$1.34 ₱84.1

-5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

$2.00 ₱126

-19.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.60

$0.47 ₱29.47

-53.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.70 ₱674

$12.56 ₱791

-14.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.9

$0.73 ₱46.07

15.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.40

$0.21 ₱13.20

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.87 ₱118

1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.2

$1.28 ₱80.6

-0.78%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

1.02%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-1.68%

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

$109 ₱6,856

$124 ₱7,822

-12.35%

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

$19.33 ₱1,217

$15.73 ₱990

22.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 ₱1,962

$24.40 ₱1,536

27.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.01 ₱1,890

$43.31 ₱2,727

-30.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.18 ₱263

$5.79 ₱365

-27.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 ₱306

$6.76 ₱425

-28.11%

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

$106 ₱6,689

$630 ₱39.7K

-83.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,589 ₱477.8K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-15.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.02 ₱2,079

$58.3 ₱3,668

-43.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.31 ₱1,216

$27.34 ₱1,721

-29.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ₱4,451

$75.6 ₱4,758

-6.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,821

$56.6 ₱3,564

7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ₱17.5K

$536 ₱33.8K

-48.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$284 ₱17.9K

-39.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₱27.8K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-76.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.4K

$654 ₱41.2K

-38.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 ₱138.5K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-50.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₱63.4K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-60.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

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 Malaybalay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malaybalay

$199 26.4%

Manila

$222 23.5% 11.6% $23

Accommodation & Living

Malaybalay

$173 22.8%

Manila

$284 29.9% 64.4% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaybalay

$159 21.1%

Manila

$164 17.3% 3.1% $5

Eating Out

Malaybalay

$89 11.7%

Manila

$106 11.2% 20% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Malaybalay

$83 10.9%

Manila

$98 10.3% 18.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Malaybalay

$40 5.3%

Manila

$57 6% 43% $17

Getting Around

Malaybalay

$14 1.8%

Manila

$16 1.7% 19.6% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Malaybalay and $536 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Malaybalay vs $27.00 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $222 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

Same time as Malaybalay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,712

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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Malaybalay Manila 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Malaybalay
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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

Malaybalay vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaybalay and Manila differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($756 vs $948 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,134 in Malaybalay and $1,422 in Manila to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $279 in Malaybalay versus $536 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $27.00 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $756 in Malaybalay versus $948 in Manila, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Malaybalay and Manila are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.