Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Alabang

For one person, living is cheaper in Alabang: $721 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Alabang
Learn more

Alabang Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Alabang

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Alabang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manila and in Alabang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $721 in Alabang, rent included.

Manila $945
Alabang $721

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,098 in Alabang, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Alabang $1,098

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,475 in Alabang, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Alabang $1,475

Manila costs about 31% more than Alabang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Alabang are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Alabang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$4.03 ₱257

32.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$18.49 ₱1,181

43.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.78 ₱178

41.37%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.37 ₱152

6.75%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.68 ₱43.36

98.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.31 ₱19.58

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.02 ₱65.1

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.84 ₱118

29.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.59 ₱102

20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$1.14 ₱73.0

26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$0.84 ₱53.8

11.90%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.78 ₱113

29.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$4.94 ₱315

50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$3.46 ₱221

33.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$7.09 ₱453

-6.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.20 ₱141

49.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.41 ₱90.0

27.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.36 ₱151

27.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.01 ₱64.4

74.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.72 ₱110

29.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$1.67 ₱107

59.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$0.64 ₱41.21

234.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.52 ₱33.29

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.82 ₱180

8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$7.27 ₱465

31.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$0.89 ₱56.6

46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.81 ₱116

9.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.26 ₱16.65

53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$11.17 ₱714

14.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.81 ₱51.5

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.21 ₱13.37

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.91 ₱122

-3.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.21 ₱77.5

4.96%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-2.89%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

-0.33%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$138 ₱8,797

-13.14%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$13.99 ₱894

12.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$22.79 ₱1,456

3.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$30.60 ₱1,955

39.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$4.61 ₱295

22.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$5.19 ₱331

25.24%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$70.7 ₱4,518

746.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$2,479 ₱158.4K

255.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$28.26 ₱1,806

100.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$19.00 ₱1,214

44.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$69.8 ₱4,458

9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$54.3 ₱3,469

2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$221 ₱14.1K

138.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$168 ₱10.7K

77.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$489 ₱31.3K

285.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$357 ₱22.8K

128.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$2,524 ₱161.3K

57.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$1,227 ₱78.4K

92.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.75

10.07%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Alabang: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Alabang

$168 23.2% 43.5% $129

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Alabang

$165 22.9% 23.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Alabang

$174 24.2% 9.8% $16

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Alabang

$82 11.3% 21.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Alabang

$77 10.7% 20.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Alabang

$41 5.7% 26.3% $15

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Alabang

$14 2% 13.4% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $221 in Alabang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $18 in Alabang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $165 – making Alabang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Alabang

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

71,075

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manila Alabang 20 km

From you

Manila
Alabang

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

Manila vs Alabang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $1,081 in Alabang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alabang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $526 in Manila.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Manila, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila and $18 in Alabang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Alabang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

For expats, Alabang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 31% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.