Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Bataan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bataan: $484 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Bataan
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Bataan Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Bataan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Bataan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $484 in Bataan.

Manila $945
Bataan $484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $808 in Bataan.

Manila $1,572
Bataan $808

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $1,132 in Bataan.

Manila $2,199
Bataan $1,132

Living in Manila is roughly 95% more expensive than in Bataan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Bataan 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$1.35 ₱86.6

295.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$16.58 ₱1,059

59.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.67 ₱171

47.19%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$1.30 ₱83.1

94.62%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.58 ₱37.13

132.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.22 ₱14.03

272.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.00 ₱63.8

14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.55 ₱99.0

53.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.57 ₱100

21.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$1.10 ₱70.4

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$1.01 ₱64.6

-6.93%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.75 ₱112

31.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$5.10 ₱326

45.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$2.95 ₱189

56.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$7.61 ₱486

-12.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.24 ₱143

46.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.52 ₱97.3

18.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.26 ₱144

32.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.06 ₱67.4

66.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.65 ₱105

34.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$1.67 ₱107

59.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$0.60 ₱38.38

256.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.52 ₱33.50

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.18 ₱139

40.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$8.40 ₱537

13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$0.97 ₱61.7

34.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$2.02 ₱129

-1.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.24 ₱15.22

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$11.16 ₱713

14.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.75 ₱48.08

-4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.24 ₱15.37

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.03 ₱66.0

23.30%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

0.29%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.03%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$47.28 ₱3,021

152.94%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$17.49 ₱1,117

-10.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$22.85 ₱1,460

3.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$31.23 ₱1,996

36.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$5.61 ₱359

0.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$5.01 ₱320

29.74%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$65.6 ₱4,190

812.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$10.7K ₱683.0K

-17.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$27.82 ₱1,778

103.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$19.07 ₱1,218

43.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$69.2 ₱4,422

10.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$55.8 ₱3,565

-0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$161 ₱10.3K

227.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$50.0 ₱3,197

493.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$274 ₱17.5K

588.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$177 ₱11.3K

360.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$2,553 ₱163.1K

55.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$1,066 ₱68.1K

122.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$389 ₱24.9K

19.85%

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 Bataan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Bataan

$50 10.3% 83.1% $247

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Bataan

$168 34.7% 22.4% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Bataan

$88 18.1% 44.9% $71

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Bataan

$46 9.5% 56% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Bataan

$77 16% 20.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Bataan

$41 8.5% 25.8% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Bataan

$14 2.9% 13.4% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Manila and $161 in Bataan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $17 in Bataan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $168 per month, with Bataan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Bataan

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

6,743

💱 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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Between locations

Manila Bataan 49 km

From you

Manila
Bataan

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 Bataan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bataan is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Manila, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $526 in Manila versus $161 in Bataan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bataan – a meal for two runs $17 versus $26 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Bataan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.