Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Batangas

For one person, living is cheaper in Batangas: $610 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Batangas
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Batangas Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Batangas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Batangas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $610 in Batangas.

Manila $945
Batangas $610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $887 in Batangas.

Manila $1,572
Batangas $887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $1,165 in Batangas.

Manila $2,199
Batangas $1,165

Living in Manila is roughly 55% more expensive than in Batangas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Batangas 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱340

$2.14 ₱136

149.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,685

$19.00 ₱1,210

39.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.63 ₱168

49.43%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.06 ₱131

22.82%

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

$0.37 ₱23.81

264.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.28 ₱17.92

192.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.05 ₱66.8

8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.40 ₱88.9

70.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.71 ₱109

11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.16 ₱73.8

24.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$0.77 ₱49.20

22.08%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.61 ₱103

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$5.49 ₱350

34.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$4.09 ₱261

12.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱423

$6.99 ₱445

-4.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.29 ₱146

43.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.35 ₱85.8

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.41 ₱153

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.16 ₱73.8

51.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.20 ₱140

0.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$3.24 ₱206

-17.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$1.29 ₱81.9

65.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.01

$0.89 ₱56.4

-40.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.52 ₱161

21.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱609

$7.55 ₱481

26.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.0

$1.27 ₱81.1

2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.72 ₱110

15.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.75

$0.63 ₱39.95

-36.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.82

$0.76 ₱48.46

-5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.67

$0.21 ₱13.32

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$2.48 ₱158

-25.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.01 ₱64.1

25.74%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-0.89%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-1.32%

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

$120 ₱7,617

$161 ₱10.3K

-25.94%

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

$15.69 ₱999

$14.33 ₱913

9.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,503

$23.93 ₱1,524

-1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,711

$18.53 ₱1,180

129.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

$12.48 ₱795

-54.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$5.63 ₱358

15.45%

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

$599 ₱38.1K

$71.9 ₱4,577

733.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.6K

$1,239 ₱78.9K

611.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,609

$15.94 ₱1,015

255.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,745

$22.67 ₱1,444

20.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,863

$53.8 ₱3,429

41.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,535

$39.82 ₱2,536

39.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$71.1 ₱4,530

317.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$156 ₱9,963

1106.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$93.3 ₱5,942

774.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.7K

$2,500 ₱159.2K

58.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.7K

$1,573 ₱100.2K

50.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

$185 ₱11.8K

151.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.14%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Batangas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Batangas

$71 11.7% 76% $226

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Batangas

$185 30.3% 14.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Batangas

$200 32.8% 25.7% $41

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Batangas

$60 9.9% 42% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Batangas

$60 9.8% 38.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Batangas

$30 4.9% 46.4% $26

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Batangas

$4.3 * 0.7% 73.4% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Manila pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $19 in Batangas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $185 per month, with Batangas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Batangas

🕒 Local time

15:07 3:07 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

329,874

💱 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 Batangas 93 km

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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 Batangas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $945 in Manila and $610 in Batangas, so Batangas is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Manila is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $945 per month in Manila versus $610 in Batangas – Batangas is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Batangas 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.

Safety-wise, Manila and Batangas are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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