Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Calapan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Calapan City: $710 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Calapan City
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Calapan City Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Calapan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Calapan City

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

A single person spends $948 per month in Manila vs $710 in Calapan City, rent included.

Manila $948
Calapan City $710

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Manila vs $1,088 in Calapan City, rent included.

Manila $1,508
Calapan City $1,088

A family of three spends $2,068 per month in Manila vs $1,467 in Calapan City, rent included.

Manila $2,068
Calapan City $1,467

Manila costs about 34% more than Calapan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Calapan City are more affordable than the global median – Manila 30% lower, Calapan City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$4.01 ₱252

36.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,695

$16.85 ₱1,061

59.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$2.83 ₱178

37.81%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$2.25 ₱142

16.44%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.61 ₱38.53

122.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.30 ₱19.15

176.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$1.13 ₱71.0

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.90 ₱120

22.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.69 ₱107

15.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.1

$1.15 ₱72.5

23.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.97 ₱61.1

7.22%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$1.92 ₱121

16.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$4.78 ₱301

61.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$4.23 ₱267

16.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$7.03 ₱442

1.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$2.34 ₱147

38.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.60 ₱101

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

$2.36 ₱149

24.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.14 ₱71.6

57.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.91 ₱120

21.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$1.95 ₱123

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$0.99 ₱62.3

114.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.55 ₱34.62

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.99 ₱188

6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$7.38 ₱464

32.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$0.95 ₱59.6

41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.95 ₱123

2.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

$0.24 ₱15.06

95.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$11.13 ₱701

12.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

$0.79 ₱49.46

-7.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.20 ₱12.48

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.94 ₱122

-3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.05 ₱66.3

21.90%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$23.0K ₱1.4M

-7.04%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

2.87%

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

$124 ₱7,822

$121 ₱7,642

2.36%

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

$15.73 ₱990

$14.21 ₱895

10.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,536

$24.23 ₱1,525

0.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,727

$32.71 ₱2,059

32.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

$5.12 ₱323

13.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱425

$5.07 ₱319

33.33%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$125 ₱7,875

403.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

$7,935 ₱499.6K

13.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,668

$32.35 ₱2,037

80.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

$19.22 ₱1,210

42.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

$69.8 ₱4,395

8.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

$57.0 ₱3,589

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$232 ₱14.6K

131.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$156 ₱9,819

81.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$497 ₱31.3K

276.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$336 ₱21.1K

94.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

$2,385 ₱150.2K

86.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$1,002 ₱63.1K

152.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$118 ₱7,460

293.92%

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 Calapan City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

Calapan City

$156 22% 45% $128

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Calapan City

$177 24.9% 20.6% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Calapan City

$160 22.5% 2.8% $4.6

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Calapan City

$81 11.4% 24.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Calapan City

$80 11.3% 18.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Calapan City

$43 6% 24.6% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Calapan City

$14 2% 14.5% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Manila versus $232 in Calapan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 294% higher in Manila, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Manila versus $17.00 in Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $177 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Calapan City

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

145,786

💱 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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Manila
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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 Calapan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,422 per month in Manila and $1,065 in Calapan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calapan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Manila and $17.00 in Calapan City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $948 in Manila and $710 in Calapan City. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calapan City, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Manila at $948. In Calapan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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