Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Bangalore

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangalore: $535 a month against $931 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
Learn more

Bangalore Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Bangalore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $931 in Manila versus $535 in Bangalore.

Manila $931
Bangalore $535

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,519 in Manila versus $927 in Bangalore.

Manila $1,519
Bangalore $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,106 in Manila versus $1,318 in Bangalore.

Manila $2,106
Bangalore $1,318

Living in Manila is roughly 74% more expensive than in Bangalore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Bangalore 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 ₱353

$3.04 ₹294

84.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.39 ₱1,722

$17.83 ₹1,725

53.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ₱248

$4.78 ₹463

-17.36%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$2.24 ₹217

14.29%

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

$1.42 ₱89.3

$0.39 ₹37.49

264.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₱51.1

$0.14 ₹13.64

478.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.4

$2.34 ₹226

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.91 ₹379

-39.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.61 ₹58.6

218.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ₱88.2

$0.57 ₹55.2

145.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.3

$0.81 ₹77.9

25.93%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$1.12 ₹109

104.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ₱494

$5.93 ₹574

32.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ₱307

$3.85 ₹373

27.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱426

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ₱213

$2.78 ₹269

21.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₱117

$0.75 ₹72.2

146.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₱186

$1.22 ₹118

142.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$0.40 ₹39.19

347.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$0.38 ₹36.40

489.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱169

$0.36 ₹34.72

647.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 ₱138

$0.42 ₹40.31

423.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.35

$0.32 ₹31.21

84.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₱197

$4.61 ₹446

-32.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 ₱593

$9.01 ₹872

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.86 ₹180

-28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$2.92 ₹283

-31.51%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.35 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.54

$0.51 ₹48.89

-7.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.58 ₱791

$15.71 ₹1,520

-19.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.91

$1.01 ₹97.8

-22.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.47

$0.30 ₹29.43

-23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.10 ₹203

-7.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$1.08 ₹104

23.15%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

69.74%

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

$19.7K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₹1.8M

3.30%

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

$121 ₱7,635

$30.32 ₹2,934

300.40%

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

$16.04 ₱1,009

$4.11 ₹398

290.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.25 ₱1,525

$10.23 ₹990

137.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 ₱2,732

$18.61 ₹1,801

133.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 ₱371

$5.95 ₹576

-0.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ₱417

$4.60 ₹446

44.13%

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

$613 ₱38.5K

$104 ₹10.1K

488.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,953 ₱563.1K

$3,176 ₹307.3K

181.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ₱3,657

$32.29 ₹3,125

80.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.18 ₱1,709

$29.85 ₹2,889

-8.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 ₱4,875

$53.3 ₹5,160

45.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 ₱3,583

$39.66 ₹3,838

43.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₱33.6K

$309 ₹29.9K

72.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₱18.0K

$175 ₹16.9K

64.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱120.5K

$788 ₹76.3K

143.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₱42.6K

$481 ₹46.6K

40.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,439 ₱279.1K

$1,889 ₹182.8K

134.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,556 ₱160.8K

$1,067 ₹103.3K

139.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₱30.5K

$919 ₹89.0K

-47.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

8.5

-12.59%

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

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bangalore: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$287 30.2%

Bangalore

$175 32% 39% $112

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$221 23.3%

Bangalore

$122 22.4% 44.7% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$162 17%

Bangalore

$45 8.2% 72.4% $117

Eating Out

Manila

$107 11.3%

Bangalore

$87 15.9% 18.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.4%

Bangalore

$70 12.8% 29.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Bangalore

$28 5.1% 50.9% $29

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Bangalore

$20 3.7% 23.6% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $534 in Manila and $309 in Bangalore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Manila vs $18.00 in Bangalore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $122 per month, with Bangalore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

12:03 12:03 PM

2 h 30 min behind Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

8,495,492

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Manila Bangalore 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Bangalore

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 Bangalore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangalore wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Manila. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bangalore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Bangalore. 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: $534 in Manila versus $309 in Bangalore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bangalore runs roughly 25% less than in Manila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $613 in Manila versus $104 in Bangalore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $535 in Bangalore versus $931 in Manila, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bangalore but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Bangalore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bangalore delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $535 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bangalore hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manila and Bangalore are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bangalore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.