Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Cavite

For one person, living is cheaper in Cavite: $564 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Cavite
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Cavite Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Cavite

🇵🇭 Philippines

$564

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Cavite

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $564 in Cavite, rent included.

Manila $945
Cavite $564

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $879 in Cavite, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Cavite $879

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,194 in Cavite, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Cavite $1,194

Manila costs about 68% more than Cavite, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Cavite are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Cavite 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$2.34 ₱149

128.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$15.86 ₱1,014

66.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.26 ₱144

73.89%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$1.77 ₱113

42.94%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.58 ₱37.32

132.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.33 ₱21.18

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$0.95 ₱60.5

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.54 ₱98.7

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.38 ₱88.1

38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$1.09 ₱69.6

32.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$0.89 ₱56.9

5.62%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.95 ₱125

17.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$5.10 ₱326

45.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$3.40 ₱217

35.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$6.12 ₱391

8.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.03 ₱130

62.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.06 ₱67.7

69.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.34 ₱150

28.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.05 ₱67.4

67.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.66 ₱106

33.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$1.45 ₱92.4

83.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$0.49 ₱31.23

336.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.48 ₱30.64

10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$1.99 ₱127

53.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$4.61 ₱295

107.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$0.92 ₱58.8

41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.27 ₱81.3

56.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$13.30 ₱850

-4.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.65 ₱41.74

10.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.24 ₱15.36

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.93 ₱123

-4.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.17 ₱74.5

8.55%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

0.73%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-2.96%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$88.2 ₱5,633

35.64%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$13.52 ₱864

16.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$23.40 ₱1,495

0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$46.02 ₱2,940

-7.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$5.03 ₱321

29.22%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$131 ₱8,387

356.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$10.6K ₱679.7K

-17.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$28.81 ₱1,840

96.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$19.03 ₱1,216

43.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$71.4 ₱4,563

6.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$54.4 ₱3,477

1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$134 ₱8,555

293.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$81.0 ₱5,177

266.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$238 ₱15.2K

692.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$191 ₱12.2K

326.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$222 ₱14.2K

110.10%

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 Cavite: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Cavite

$81 14.4% 72.7% $216

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Cavite

$150 26.6% 30.7% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Cavite

$125 22.2% 21.3% $34

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Cavite

$58 10.3% 44.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Cavite

$78 13.9% 19.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Cavite

$56 10% 0.9% $0.5

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Cavite

$15 * 2.7% 6.7% $1.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $134 in Cavite. 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 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $16 in Cavite. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $150 – making Cavite the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Cavite

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

100,674

💱 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

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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 Cavite: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $845 in Cavite. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cavite, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $564 in Cavite. That makes Cavite about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

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