Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Cabanatuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $601 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
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Cabanatuan Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Cabanatuan

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $601 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Manila $922
Cabanatuan $601

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $954 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Manila $1,531
Cabanatuan $954

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,308 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Manila $2,140
Cabanatuan $1,308

Manila costs about 53% more than Cabanatuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Cabanatuan are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Cabanatuan 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱295

$3.87 ₱245

20.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,667

$16.59 ₱1,051

58.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱255

$2.71 ₱172

48.34%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$1.74 ₱110

44.25%

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

$1.37 ₱86.9

$0.60 ₱37.87

128.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.3

$0.33 ₱21.13

169.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.8

$0.94 ₱59.4

27.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$1.60 ₱102

46.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.64 ₱104

14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.3

$1.11 ₱70.2

27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.4

$0.88 ₱55.5

15.91%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$2.04 ₱129

7.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱473

$4.87 ₱308

53.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱308

$3.29 ₱209

47.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱442

$7.57 ₱479

-7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$2.26 ₱143

45.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱114

$1.04 ₱65.7

74.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱184

$2.39 ₱151

21.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱121

$0.81 ₱51.3

135.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.64 ₱104

40.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$1.71 ₱108

57.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱138

$0.88 ₱56.1

147.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.34

$0.52 ₱32.85

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$2.93 ₱186

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱592

$8.71 ₱552

7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$0.88 ₱55.5

44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$2.06 ₱130

-0.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱20.93

$0.24 ₱15.23

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱811

$12.40 ₱786

3.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.11

$0.81 ₱51.1

-3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.66

$0.20 ₱12.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.86 ₱118

-0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.0

$0.95 ₱60.3

37.89%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-2.71%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

0.83%

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

$109 ₱6,922

$52.5 ₱3,323

108.29%

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

$15.71 ₱995

$17.00 ₱1,077

-7.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,558

$21.22 ₱1,344

15.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,645

$10.94 ₱693

281.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱370

$5.15 ₱326

13.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱407

$5.05 ₱320

27.13%

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

$606 ₱38.4K

$132 ₱8,336

360.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱486.2K

$10.7K ₱679.8K

-28.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,538

$23.07 ₱1,462

142.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,810

$19.29 ₱1,222

48.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,366

$57.8 ₱3,662

19.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,693

$55.8 ₱3,537

4.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.7K

$250 ₱15.8K

113.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.3K

$164 ₱10.4K

76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.4K

$485 ₱30.7K

295.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.4K

$349 ₱22.1K

123.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱258.4K

$2,631 ₱166.7K

55.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.1K

$1,099 ₱69.7K

121.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.0K

$159 ₱10.1K

218.34%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cabanatuan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Cabanatuan

$164 27.3% 43.2% $125

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Cabanatuan

$168 28% 23.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Cabanatuan

$91 15.1% 39.4% $59

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Cabanatuan

$72 11.9% 27.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Cabanatuan

$70 11.7% 26.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Cabanatuan

$21 3.5% 61.5% $34

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Cabanatuan

$15 2.5% 4.5% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $250 in Cabanatuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Manila are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $17 in Cabanatuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $168 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

302,231

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $601 in Cabanatuan – Cabanatuan comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $901 in Cabanatuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $533 in Manila.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila and $17 in Cabanatuan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $601 in Cabanatuan. That makes Cabanatuan about 35% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $922 in Manila and $601 in Cabanatuan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Cabanatuan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Cabanatuan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.