Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mambajao and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $508 per month in Mambajao vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Mambajao $508
Manila $948

A couple spends around $817 per month in Mambajao vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Mambajao $817
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,126 per month in Mambajao vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Mambajao $1,126
Manila $2,068

Mambajao is about 46% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mambajao and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Mambajao 62% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.36 ₱85.9

$5.46 ₱344

-75.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.83 ₱997

$26.93 ₱1,695

-41.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.40 ₱214

$3.90 ₱246

-12.82%

Cappuccino

$2.28 ₱144

$2.62 ₱165

-12.98%

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

$0.38 ₱24.02

$1.36 ₱85.5

-72.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₱16.81

$0.83 ₱52.3

-67.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₱64.6

$1.22 ₱76.9

-15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₱70.6

$2.32 ₱146

-51.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$1.96 ₱123

-54.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₱39.56

$1.42 ₱89.1

-55.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.56

$1.04 ₱65.4

-36.54%

Eggs

$1.26 ₱79.5

$2.23 ₱140

-43.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 ₱372

$7.70 ₱485

-23.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 ₱270

$4.91 ₱309

-12.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.50 ₱346

$7.12 ₱448

-22.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ₱160

$3.23 ₱204

-21.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$1.92 ₱121

-15.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$2.93 ₱184

-23.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$1.79 ₱113

-36.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.3

$2.32 ₱146

-44.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₱130

$2.73 ₱172

-24.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$2.12 ₱133

-57.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱34.37

$0.59 ₱37.25

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₱158

$3.18 ₱200

-21.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₱467

$9.81 ₱618

-24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$1.34 ₱84.1

-26.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$2.00 ₱126

-43.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$0.47 ₱29.47

-57.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.71 ₱675

$12.56 ₱791

-14.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.54

$0.73 ₱46.07

-5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱12.97

$0.21 ₱13.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ₱107

$1.87 ₱118

-9.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.3

$1.28 ₱80.6

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

$21.9K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

2.73%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

12.72%

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

$64.9 ₱4,083

$124 ₱7,822

-47.80%

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

$16.36 ₱1,030

$15.73 ₱990

4.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.10 ₱1,266

$24.40 ₱1,536

-17.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.72 ₱1,745

$43.31 ₱2,727

-36.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 ₱295

$5.79 ₱365

-19.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱312

$6.76 ₱425

-26.78%

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

$127 ₱7,995

$630 ₱39.7K

-79.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,993 ₱566.2K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-0.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.83 ₱1,941

$58.3 ₱3,668

-47.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 ₱1,386

$27.34 ₱1,721

-19.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,553

$75.6 ₱4,758

-4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.1 ₱3,975

$56.6 ₱3,564

11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₱6,360

$536 ₱33.8K

-81.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.3 ₱3,542

$284 ₱17.9K

-80.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ₱14.9K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-87.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱9,973

$654 ₱41.2K

-75.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,172 ₱136.7K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-51.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 ₱62.3K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-60.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$153 ₱9,616

$467 ₱29.4K

-67.28%

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 Mambajao: 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

Mambajao

$156 30.7%

Manila

$222 23.5% 42.7% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mambajao

$101 20%

Manila

$164 17.3% 62.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Mambajao

$85 16.7%

Manila

$98 10.3% 15.6% $13

Eating Out

Mambajao

$59 11.5%

Manila

$106 11.2% 81.8% $48

Accommodation & Living

Mambajao

$56 11.1%

Manila

$284 29.9% 404% $227

Sport & Entertainment

Mambajao

$38 7.4%

Manila

$57 6% 51.1% $19

Getting Around

Mambajao

$13 2.6%

Manila

$16 1.7% 22.5% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $101 in Mambajao 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 206% 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 $16.00 in Mambajao versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $222 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

01:12 1:12 AM

Same time as Mambajao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,094

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mambajao Manila 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mambajao
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

Mambajao vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila costs about 87% more than Mambajao, 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 $761 per month in Mambajao 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 Mambajao, 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 $508 in Mambajao and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 87%.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Mambajao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Manila at $948. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mambajao costs $508 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 Mambajao. 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.