Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Calamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $510 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Calamba
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Calamba Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Calamba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $510 in Calamba.

Manila $945
Calamba $510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $752 in Calamba.

Manila $1,572
Calamba $752

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $994 in Calamba.

Manila $2,199
Calamba $994

Living in Manila is roughly 85% more expensive than in Calamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Calamba 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱339

$3.82 ₱243

39.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,680

$11.63 ₱739

127.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱250

$2.68 ₱170

46.64%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$1.75 ₱111

44.57%

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

$1.35 ₱85.7

$0.59 ₱37.59

128.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱51.9

$0.30 ₱19.31

173.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.4

$0.92 ₱58.4

23.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱151

$1.60 ₱101

48.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.66 ₱105

15.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.5

$1.13 ₱71.8

27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.9

Eggs

$2.30 ₱146

$1.99 ₱127

15.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱470

$4.89 ₱311

51.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱293

$3.42 ₱217

34.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱422

$7.51 ₱477

-11.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱209

$2.25 ₱143

46.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.50 ₱95.2

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.30 ₱146

30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.02 ₱64.6

72.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$1.67 ₱106

32.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$1.75 ₱111

52.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$0.64 ₱40.68

234.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.91

$0.51 ₱32.61

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.87 ₱182

6.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱608

$8.66 ₱550

10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱82.8

$0.95 ₱60.2

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱126

$2.03 ₱129

-1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱810

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.69

$0.80 ₱50.7

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.63

$0.24 ₱15.27

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.86 ₱118

-1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.5

$0.90 ₱56.9

41.11%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

0.78%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

-0.58%

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

$120 ₱7,595

$137 ₱8,687

-12.58%

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

$15.69 ₱996

$17.32 ₱1,100

-9.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,499

$23.37 ₱1,484

0.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,703

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱359

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱413

$5.12 ₱325

26.95%

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

$599 ₱38.0K

$129 ₱8,177

365.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱560.0K

$10.6K ₱672.6K

-16.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,599

$27.97 ₱1,776

102.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,740

$19.17 ₱1,217

42.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,848

$71.4 ₱4,532

6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,525

$54.7 ₱3,472

1.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱119.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱51.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.6K

$249 ₱15.8K

87.14%

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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Calamba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Calamba

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Calamba

$172 33.7% 20.6% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Calamba

$178 34.8% 11.7% $19

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Calamba

$71 13.9% 31.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Calamba

$78 15.3% 19.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Calamba

$10 * 2% 81.6% $45

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Calamba

$2 * 0.4% 87.7% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

Manila pays 87% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $12 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $172 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Calamba

🕒 Local time

20:34 8:34 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

539,671

💱 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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Between locations

Manila Calamba 47 km

From you

Manila
Calamba

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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 46% 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.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Manila, 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 26% 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 $510 in Calamba – Calamba is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $510 in Calamba versus $945 in Manila, a $800 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 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 Calamba are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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