Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Cauayan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cauayan City: $708 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Cauayan City
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Cauayan City Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Cauayan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Cauayan 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 Cauayan City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $708 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Manila $922
Cauayan City $708

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $1,074 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Manila $1,531
Cauayan City $1,074

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,440 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Manila $2,140
Cauayan City $1,440

Manila costs about 30% more than Cauayan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Cauayan City are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Cauayan City 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱296

$3.97 ₱252

17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,671

$16.34 ₱1,038

61.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱255

$2.77 ₱176

45.13%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$1.82 ₱116

37.91%

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

$1.37 ₱87.1

$0.55 ₱35.00

149.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.4

$0.33 ₱21.10

169.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.9

$1.00 ₱63.7

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$1.55 ₱98.3

50.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.63 ₱104

14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.5

$1.15 ₱73.0

22.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.5

$0.93 ₱59.3

9.68%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$2.04 ₱129

7.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱474

$4.67 ₱296

59.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱308

$3.34 ₱212

45.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱443

$7.90 ₱502

-11.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$2.26 ₱143

45.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$1.55 ₱98.7

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱184

$2.38 ₱151

21.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.05 ₱66.7

81.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.65 ₱105

39.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$1.69 ₱107

59.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱139

$0.87 ₱55.4

150.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.41

$0.52 ₱33.30

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$2.98 ₱189

3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱593

$8.57 ₱544

8.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$0.90 ₱57.3

41.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$1.95 ₱124

5.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱20.98

$0.24 ₱15.32

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱812

$12.29 ₱780

4.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.21

$0.76 ₱48.54

2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.68

$0.22 ₱13.92

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.94 ₱123

-4.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.2

$0.91 ₱57.9

43.96%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-2.00%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

4.54%

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

$109 ₱6,936

$136 ₱8,657

-19.88%

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

$15.71 ₱997

$10.33 ₱656

52.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,561

$22.72 ₱1,442

8.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,651

$30.67 ₱1,947

36.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱371

$5.33 ₱338

9.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱407

$4.97 ₱316

29.18%

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

$606 ₱38.5K

$131 ₱8,285

364.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱487.2K

$10.6K ₱670.7K

-27.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,545

$28.11 ₱1,785

98.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,814

$19.23 ₱1,221

48.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,375

$53.9 ₱3,422

27.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,701

$55.8 ₱3,542

4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.8K

$247 ₱15.7K

115.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.4K

$166 ₱10.5K

74.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.6K

$479 ₱30.4K

299.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.5K

$353 ₱22.4K

121.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱258.9K

$2,605 ₱165.4K

56.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.4K

$1,114 ₱70.7K

118.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.1K

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 Cauayan City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Cauayan City

$166 23.4% 42.7% $123

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Cauayan City

$173 24.5% 20.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Cauayan City

$169 23.9% 13.3% $20

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Cauayan City

$74 10.4% 25.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Cauayan City

$71 10% 25.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Cauayan City

$41 5.7% 25.6% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Cauayan City

$15 2.1% 4.9% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $247 in Cauayan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $16 in Cauayan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $173 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Cauayan City

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

2,616

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Manila Cauayan City 280 km

From you

Manila
Cauayan City

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 Cauayan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $708 in Cauayan City – Cauayan City comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $1,062 in Cauayan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cauayan City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $247 there versus $533 in Manila.

Kindergarten costs $606 per month in Manila and $131 in Cauayan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Manila, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $922 in Manila and $708 in Cauayan City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Cauayan City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 23% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.