Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaluyong and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $945 a month against $1,066 in Mandaluyong, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mandaluyong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

52

Cost of Living Index in Mandaluyong
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Mandaluyong Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,066

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,066 in Mandaluyong versus $945 in Manila.

Mandaluyong $1,066
Manila $945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,643 in Mandaluyong versus $1,572 in Manila.

Mandaluyong $1,643
Manila $1,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,221 in Mandaluyong versus $2,199 in Manila.

Mandaluyong $2,221
Manila $2,199

Living in Mandaluyong is roughly 13% more expensive than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandaluyong 22% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 ₱307

$5.34 ₱341

-9.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.11 ₱1,026

$26.46 ₱1,686

-39.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.48 ₱222

$3.93 ₱251

-11.45%

Cappuccino

$2.20 ₱140

$2.53 ₱161

-13.04%

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

$0.96 ₱61.2

$1.35 ₱86.0

-28.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.82 ₱52.1

-40.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.8

$1.14 ₱72.6

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₱148

$2.38 ₱152

-2.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.91 ₱121

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$1.44 ₱91.8

-9.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

Eggs

$2.19 ₱140

$2.30 ₱147

-4.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.07 ₱323

$7.41 ₱472

-31.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 ₱305

$4.61 ₱294

3.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 ₱434

$6.65 ₱424

2.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱210

$3.29 ₱210

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₱121

$1.80 ₱114

5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.76 ₱112

2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱141

$2.22 ₱141

-0.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ₱163

$2.66 ₱169

-3.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱39.24

$2.14 ₱136

-71.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.83

$0.53 ₱34.03

-9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱179

$3.06 ₱195

-8.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.55 ₱545

$9.57 ₱610

-10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₱55.9

$1.30 ₱83.1

-32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱129

$1.99 ₱127

1.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₱20.54

$0.40 ₱25.76

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.10 ₱835

$12.75 ₱812

2.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.25

$0.72 ₱45.85

5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.33

$0.23 ₱14.68

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.84 ₱117

3.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱76.3

$1.27 ₱80.8

-5.51%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

1.84%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.48%

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

$138 ₱8,815

$120 ₱7,620

15.68%

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

$17.04 ₱1,086

$15.69 ₱1,000

8.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.94 ₱1,526

$23.60 ₱1,504

1.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.69 ₱2,019

$42.57 ₱2,713

-25.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ₱384

$6.50 ₱414

-7.23%

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

$132 ₱8,406

$599 ₱38.2K

-77.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,937 ₱569.5K

$8,818 ₱561.9K

1.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.86 ₱1,775

$56.7 ₱3,611

-50.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.00 ₱1,721

$27.40 ₱1,746

-1.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ₱4,493

$76.4 ₱4,865

-7.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 ₱3,519

$55.5 ₱3,537

-0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₱46.3K

$526 ₱33.5K

38.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 ₱29.1K

$297 ₱18.9K

54.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 ₱152.6K

$1,887 ₱120.2K

26.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 ₱63.5K

$816 ₱52.0K

22.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 ₱267.8K

$3,968 ₱252.9K

5.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,924 ₱186.3K

$2,366 ₱150.8K

23.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$537 ₱34.2K

$466 ₱29.7K

15.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.43

-9.15%

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

Last update for Mandaluyong: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandaluyong

$457 42.9%

Manila

$297 31.4% 35.1% $161

Groceries & Markets

Mandaluyong

$196 18.4%

Manila

$216 22.9% 10.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaluyong

$179 16.8%

Manila

$159 16.8% 11.4% $20

Eating Out

Mandaluyong

$92 8.6%

Manila

$104 11% 13.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaluyong

$81 7.6%

Manila

$97 10.3% 19.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaluyong

$44 4.1%

Manila

$56 5.9% 27% $12

Getting Around

Mandaluyong

$16 1.5%

Manila

$16 1.7% 0.7% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Mandaluyong and $526 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaluyong pays 15% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Mandaluyong vs $26 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $216 per month, with Mandaluyong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

Same time as Mandaluyong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,758

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Mandaluyong vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,066 in Mandaluyong and $945 in Manila, so Manila is about 11% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Mandaluyong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $727 in Mandaluyong versus $526 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mandaluyong pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaluyong – a meal for two runs $16 versus $26 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Manila gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Mandaluyong and Manila are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Manila wins on affordability, Mandaluyong on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.