Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Boracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Boracay: $772 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
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Boracay Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Boracay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $948 in Manila versus $772 in Boracay.

Manila $948
Boracay $772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Manila versus $1,313 in Boracay.

Manila $1,508
Boracay $1,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,068 in Manila versus $1,854 in Boracay.

Manila $2,068
Boracay $1,854

Living in Manila is roughly 23% more expensive than in Boracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 30% lower, Boracay 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$5.73 ₱361

-4.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,696

$19.15 ₱1,207

40.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$5.94 ₱374

-34.34%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$2.37 ₱149

10.55%

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

$1.36 ₱85.6

$0.70 ₱43.80

94.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.23 ₱14.44

260.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$1.16 ₱73.0

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.92 ₱121

20.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$2.95 ₱186

-33.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.2

$0.98 ₱61.9

44.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.5

$0.89 ₱56.4

16.85%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$1.93 ₱122

15.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$5.13 ₱323

50.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$4.78 ₱301

2.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$7.28 ₱459

-2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$2.51 ₱158

28.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.59 ₱100

20.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱185

$2.21 ₱139

32.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.08 ₱68.0

65.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.11 ₱133

9.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$2.02 ₱127

35.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$0.99 ₱62.5

114.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.27

$0.57 ₱35.86

3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.28 ₱144

39.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$7.76 ₱489

26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.2

$0.96 ₱60.6

39.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.75 ₱110

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.49

$0.24 ₱15.10

95.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$11.23 ₱707

11.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.09

$0.66 ₱41.54

10.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.23 ₱14.19

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.94 ₱122

-3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.7

$1.11 ₱69.7

15.32%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$23.7K ₱1.5M

-9.70%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$22.0K ₱1.4M

-12.38%

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

$124 ₱7,826

$111 ₱6,982

12.09%

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

$15.73 ₱991

$14.23 ₱896

10.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,537

$33.84 ₱2,132

-27.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,728

$29.95 ₱1,887

44.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

$5.12 ₱323

13.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱426

$5.26 ₱331

28.52%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$136 ₱8,595

361.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱567.2K

$8,041 ₱506.5K

11.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,670

$36.09 ₱2,273

61.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,722

$19.21 ₱1,210

42.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,760

$75.8 ₱4,775

-0.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,566

$59.1 ₱3,725

-4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$268 ₱16.9K

100.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$174 ₱11.0K

63.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$523 ₱32.9K

258.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$614 ₱38.7K

6.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.6K

$2,441 ₱153.7K

81.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$979 ₱61.7K

158.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$229 ₱14.4K

103.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.79

9.43%

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

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Last update for Boracay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

Boracay

$174 22.5% 38.7% $110

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Boracay

$193 25% 13.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Boracay

$159 20.6% 3.3% $5.5

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Boracay

$105 13.7% 0.8% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Boracay

$86 11.1% 12.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Boracay

$40 5.3% 28.8% $16

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Boracay

$14 1.8% 13.8% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $536 in Manila and $268 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 104% 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: $27.00 in Manila vs $19.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $193 per month, with Boracay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Boracay

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

12,296

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila and Boracay differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($948 vs $772 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 104% 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: $536 in Manila versus $268 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $27.00 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Boracay versus $948 in Manila, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Boracay 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 Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.