Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Bago

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $688 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Bago
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Bago Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Bago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $688 in Bago.

Manila $945
Bago $688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $1,080 in Bago.

Manila $1,572
Bago $1,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $1,472 in Bago.

Manila $2,199
Bago $1,472

Living in Manila is roughly 37% more expensive than in Bago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Bago 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$4.40 ₱281

21.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,689

$15.67 ₱1,000

68.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.86 ₱183

37.41%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.35 ₱150

7.66%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.69 ₱43.77

95.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.32 ₱20.50

156.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.26 ₱80.4

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.80 ₱115

32.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.59 ₱101

20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.0

$1.24 ₱79.1

16.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$0.92 ₱58.9

2.17%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.72 ₱110

33.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$6.11 ₱390

21.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$4.56 ₱291

1.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱424

$7.00 ₱447

-5.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.70 ₱172

21.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.38 ₱88.2

30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.18 ₱139

37.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.12 ₱71.6

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.79 ₱114

24.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$2.05 ₱131

29.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$1.14 ₱72.7

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.10

$0.52 ₱33.02

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.69 ₱172

13.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$6.84 ₱437

39.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.2

$1.01 ₱64.7

28.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.68 ₱107

18.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.81

$0.20 ₱12.67

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱814

$12.19 ₱778

4.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.94

$0.80 ₱50.8

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.71

$0.24 ₱15.43

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.79 ₱115

2.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.34 ₱85.6

-5.22%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$18.2K ₱1.2M

14.09%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$17.3K ₱1.1M

8.08%

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

$120 ₱7,635

$113 ₱7,192

6.16%

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

$15.69 ₱1,002

$14.33 ₱915

9.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,507

$22.00 ₱1,405

7.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,718

$28.03 ₱1,790

51.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$4.61 ₱294

22.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$5.27 ₱337

23.34%

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

$599 ₱38.2K

$112 ₱7,165

433.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.0K

$8,644 ₱551.9K

2.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,618

$30.74 ₱1,963

84.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,749

$17.38 ₱1,110

57.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,874

$61.6 ₱3,935

23.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,544

$58.9 ₱3,763

-5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$286 ₱18.3K

83.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$144 ₱9,182

106.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$553 ₱35.3K

241.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$357 ₱22.8K

128.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.3K

$2,770 ₱176.9K

43.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.1K

$968 ₱61.8K

144.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.92

7.37%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bago: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Bago

$144 20.9% 51.5% $153

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Bago

$179 26.1% 17.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Bago

$149 21.7% 6.2% $9.9

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Bago

$86 12.5% 17.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Bago

$76 11% 21.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Bago

$39 5.6% 30.6% $17

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Bago

$15 2.2% 7.7% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Manila and $286 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $16 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $179 per month, with Bago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Bago

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

191,210

💱 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

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Manila Bago 490 km

From you

Manila
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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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,418 in Manila and $1,031 in Bago to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $526 in Manila versus $286 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $599 in Manila versus $112 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Expats usually find Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.