Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Butuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $569 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
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Butuan Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Butuan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $569 in Butuan.

Manila $945
Butuan $569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $899 in Butuan.

Manila $1,572
Butuan $899

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $1,229 in Butuan.

Manila $2,199
Butuan $1,229

Living in Manila is roughly 66% more expensive than in Butuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Butuan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱342

$4.66 ₱298

14.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,693

$26.45 ₱1,693

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱252

$2.32 ₱149

69.40%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.04 ₱131

24.02%

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

$1.35 ₱86.4

$0.30 ₱19.17

350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.3

$0.24 ₱15.37

241.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱73.0

$1.58 ₱101

-27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.37 ₱152

0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.92 ₱123

-0.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.2

$1.11 ₱71.1

29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.4

$0.90 ₱57.3

4.44%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.83 ₱117

25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱474

$6.42 ₱411

15.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$4.75 ₱304

-2.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$9.41 ₱602

-29.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.65 ₱170

24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.09 ₱69.8

65.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.40 ₱153

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.17 ₱74.7

50.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.97 ₱126

12.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$3.40 ₱218

-21.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$1.18 ₱75.5

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.17

$0.70 ₱44.76

-24.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.42 ₱155

26.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱612

$7.68 ₱492

24.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.4

$1.27 ₱81.5

2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.60 ₱103

24.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱816

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱46.04

$0.81 ₱51.8

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.74

$0.24 ₱15.41

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱118

$1.93 ₱124

-4.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.1

$1.06 ₱68.1

19.81%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.35%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-2.41%

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

$120 ₱7,653

$106 ₱6,766

13.12%

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

$15.69 ₱1,004

$18.42 ₱1,179

-14.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,510

$30.63 ₱1,960

-22.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,724

$23.59 ₱1,509

80.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱362

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱416

$4.18 ₱267

55.50%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$106 ₱6,779

465.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱564.3K

$7,473 ₱478.2K

18.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,627

$59.6 ₱3,811

-4.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,753

$30.15 ₱1,929

-9.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,886

$69.0 ₱4,417

10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,552

$60.7 ₱3,884

-8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

8.31

-10.59%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Butuan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Butuan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Butuan

$198 34.9% 8.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Butuan

$155 27.2% 2.6% $4.1

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Butuan

$84 14.7% 19.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Butuan

$99 17.3% 1.6% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Butuan

$32 5.6% 42.5% $24

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Butuan

$2 * 0.4% 87.6% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $26 in Butuan. Groceries flip the comparison at $216 vs $198, with Butuan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Butuan

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

337,063

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Butuan 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Butuan

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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Manila. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,418 in Manila and $854 in Butuan 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.

All in, you’ll spend $945 per month in Manila versus $569 in Butuan – Butuan is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $569 in Butuan versus $945 in Manila, a $800 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan 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 Butuan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.