Comparación del coste de vida entre Manila y Calamba Comparación del coste de vida entre Manila y Calamba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $963 in Manila versus $716 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,522 in Manila versus $1,185 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,081 in Manila versus $1,654 in Calamba.

Living in Manila is roughly 34% more expensive than Calamba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 28% lower, Calamba 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 ₱333

$3.53 ₱218

52.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.79 ₱1,652

$13.14 ₱811

103.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₱280

$2.59 ₱160

75.29%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱162

$2.45 ₱151

6.94%

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

$0.98 ₱60.7

$0.64 ₱39.69

53.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱33.20

$0.41 ₱25.03

31.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ₱91.5

$0.99 ₱61.4

49.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₱168

$1.94 ₱119

40.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱121

$1.91 ₱118

2.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ₱86.1

$1.20 ₱73.7

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱63.7

$1.07 ₱66.1

-3.74%

Eggs

$2.07 ₱128

$2.21 ₱136

-6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 ₱562

$9.26 ₱571

-1.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 ₱321

$3.76 ₱232

38.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 ₱537

$8.57 ₱528

1.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 ₱210

$2.66 ₱164

27.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱112

$1.79 ₱111

1.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 ₱226

$2.38 ₱147

53.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 ₱155

$1.22 ₱75.1

106.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 ₱173

$1.84 ₱114

52.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 ₱191

$2.27 ₱140

36.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 ₱123

$0.72 ₱44.65

176.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₱42.31

$0.78 ₱47.85

-11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₱212

$3.22 ₱199

6.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 ₱616

$8.97 ₱553

11.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₱92.2

$1.03 ₱63.8

44.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₱135

$2.32 ₱143

-5.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ₱29.78

$0.26 ₱16.03

84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.83 ₱730

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 ₱57.2

$0.86 ₱52.8

8.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₱16.72

$0.24 ₱14.89

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ₱133

$2.41 ₱149

-10.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₱68.8

$1.10 ₱67.6

1.82%

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

$26.6K ₱1.6M

$32.2K ₱2.0M

-17.38%

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

$23.0K ₱1.4M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

11.82%

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

$135 ₱8,306

$148 ₱9,109

-8.82%

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

$22.00 ₱1,357

$34.74 ₱2,143

-36.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.98 ₱1,726

$25.96 ₱1,601

7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.05 ₱2,594

$34.12 ₱2,105

23.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.00 ₱431

$4.53 ₱279

54.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ₱415

$5.64 ₱348

19.33%

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

$365 ₱22.5K

$152 ₱9,384

140.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₱713.2K

$4,639 ₱286.2K

149.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.97 ₱2,897

$48.81 ₱3,010

-3.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.01 ₱2,159

$27.42 ₱1,691

27.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 ₱5,041

$75.6 ₱4,664

8.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.98 ₱2,836

$47.02 ₱2,900

-2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₱30.1K

$124 ₱7,630

295.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₱16.6K

$79.1 ₱4,880

240.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 ₱104.1K

$577 ₱35.6K

192.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 ₱38.8K

$389 ₱24.0K

61.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,325 ₱266.8K

$2,132 ₱131.5K

102.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,640 ₱162.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ₱27.9K

$260 ₱16.0K

74.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.52

4.5

67.11%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Manila: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Calamba: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $489 in Manila and $124 in Calamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 74% 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 $13.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $206 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Manila vs Calamba: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Manila. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Manila pays 74% more on average, 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: $489 in Manila versus $124 in Calamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $963 per month in Manila versus $716 in Calamba – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $716 in Calamba versus $963 in Manila, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manila and Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.