Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $945 a month against $1,048 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baghdad outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
Learn more

Baghdad Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Baghdad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $1,048 in Baghdad.

Manila $945
Baghdad $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $1,508 in Baghdad.

Manila $1,572
Baghdad $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $1,968 in Baghdad.

Manila $2,199
Baghdad $1,968

Living in Manila costs roughly 10% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Baghdad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$4.54 IQD 6,866

17.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

-0.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$6.47 IQD 9,781

-39.26%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.68 IQD 4,054

-5.60%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.39 IQD 584

246.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.20 IQD 302

310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$3.31 IQD 5,009

-65.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$3.22 IQD 4,866

-26.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$0.92 IQD 1,390

107.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$0.71 IQD 1,078

102.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$1.32 IQD 1,999

-28.79%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.71 IQD 2,577

34.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$3.30 IQD 4,989

124.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$4.15 IQD 6,269

11.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

-45.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$1.00 IQD 1,513

229.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$0.98 IQD 1,487

83.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$0.95 IQD 1,440

215.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$0.68 IQD 1,021

158.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$0.58 IQD 877

282.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$0.57 IQD 854

366.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$0.60 IQD 903

256.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.61 IQD 927

-13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$1.67 IQD 2,531

83.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$1.99 IQD 3,005

-34.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.96 IQD 2,962

1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.32 IQD 480

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

-36.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-64.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$1.30 IQD 1,964

-82.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

-72.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$0.58 IQD 870

118.97%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

25.25%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

11.77%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$188 IQD 284.5K

-36.50%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

-18.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

-37.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

-69.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

-32.99%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$145 IQD 219.6K

311.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

167.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

121.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

-17.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

32.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$537 IQD 811.6K

-2.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$364 IQD 550.5K

-18.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$963 IQD 1.5M

95.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$624 IQD 943.1K

30.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-7.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

71.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$518 IQD 782.8K

-10.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

4.12

80.34%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 22.8% $68

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 24.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 54.2% $86

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 8.9% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 25.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 6.9% $3.8

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 83.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Manila and $537 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 11% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $27 in Baghdad. Groceries flip the comparison at $216 vs $164, with Baghdad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

04:02 4:02 AM

5 h behind Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Baghdad 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Baghdad

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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Manila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Manila. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $526 in Manila versus $537 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Manila runs roughly 36% less than in Baghdad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $599 in Manila versus $145 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

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