Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Bacong

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacong: $618 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Bacong
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Bacong Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Bacong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Bacong

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 Bacong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $618 in Bacong, rent included.

Manila $922
Bacong $618

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $983 in Bacong, rent included.

Manila $1,531
Bacong $983

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,348 in Bacong, rent included.

Manila $2,140
Bacong $1,348

Manila costs about 49% more than Bacong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Manila and Bacong are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Bacong 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱296

$2.71 ₱172

71.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,673

$18.54 ₱1,179

41.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱256

$3.15 ₱200

27.62%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$2.08 ₱132

20.67%

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

$1.37 ₱87.2

$0.67 ₱42.88

104.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.5

$0.33 ₱21.29

169.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱76.1

$0.84 ₱53.3

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$1.70 ₱108

37.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.64 ₱105

14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.6

$1.17 ₱74.4

20.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.6

$0.87 ₱55.6

17.24%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$1.95 ₱124

12.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱475

$5.81 ₱369

28.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱309

$4.09 ₱260

18.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱444

$5.93 ₱377

17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$3.27 ₱208

0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$1.01 ₱64.5

79.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱185

$3.01 ₱192

-3.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.42 ₱90.3

34.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$2.36 ₱150

-2.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$2.76 ₱175

-2.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱139

$1.44 ₱91.7

51.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.47

$0.74 ₱47.25

-22.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$3.02 ₱192

1.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱594

$6.11 ₱389

52.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.08 ₱68.6

17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$1.26 ₱80.2

62.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱21.01

$0.24 ₱15.30

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱814

$12.37 ₱787

3.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.28

$0.80 ₱50.8

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

$0.35 ₱22.26

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$2.40 ₱153

-22.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.3

$0.90 ₱57.3

45.56%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-2.23%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

0.94%

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

$109 ₱6,946

$49.80 ₱3,166

119.38%

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

$15.71 ₱999

$9.22 ₱586

70.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,563

$26.84 ₱1,706

-8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,655

$31.50 ₱2,003

32.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱372

$5.06 ₱321

15.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱408

$4.67 ₱297

37.47%

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

$606 ₱38.5K

$30.67 ₱1,950

1875.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱487.9K

$7,920 ₱503.5K

-3.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,550

$23.88 ₱1,518

133.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,817

$19.30 ₱1,227

48.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,381

$54.1 ₱3,442

27.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,706

$23.13 ₱1,471

152.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.9K

$148 ₱9,406

260.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.4K

$169 ₱10.8K

70.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.8K

$485 ₱30.8K

295.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.6K

$355 ₱22.6K

119.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱259.3K

$2,635 ₱167.6K

54.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.6K

$1,104 ₱70.2K

120.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

7.33

1.36%

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

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bacong: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Bacong

$169 27.4% 41.4% $120

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Bacong

$184 29.8% 15.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Bacong

$86 13.9% 42.6% $64

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Bacong

$68 11% 31.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Bacong

$54 8.8% 43.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Bacong

$41 6.6% 25.2% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Bacong

$16 2.6% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $148 in Bacong. 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 $19 in Bacong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $184 – making Bacong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Bacong

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

41,207

💱 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

Manila Bacong 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Bacong

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 Bacong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $927 in Bacong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $148 there versus $533 in Manila.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila and $19 in Bacong. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $618 in Bacong. That makes Bacong about 33% cheaper.

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

For expats, Bacong is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.