Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Cotabato City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $738 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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 Cotabato City
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Cotabato City Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $738 in Cotabato City.

Manila $945
Cotabato City $738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $1,139 in Cotabato City.

Manila $1,572
Cotabato City $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $1,539 in Cotabato City.

Manila $2,199
Cotabato City $1,539

Living in Manila is roughly 28% more expensive than in Cotabato City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Cotabato City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$4.81 ₱307

11.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$16.14 ₱1,031

63.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$3.97 ₱254

-1.01%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.17 ₱139

16.59%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$1.06 ₱67.6

27.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.62 ₱39.75

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.14 ₱73.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.08 ₱133

14.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$2.01 ₱128

-4.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$1.08 ₱68.8

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$0.75 ₱48.19

25.33%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.90 ₱121

21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$6.44 ₱411

15.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$4.59 ₱293

0.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$9.44 ₱603

-29.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.76 ₱176

19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.10 ₱70.0

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.40 ₱153

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.17 ₱74.7

50.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.97 ₱126

12.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$3.30 ₱211

-19.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$1.24 ₱78.9

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.66 ₱42.15

-19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.40 ₱154

27.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$8.03 ₱513

19.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$1.27 ₱80.9

2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.64 ₱105

21.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.22 ₱13.98

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$11.32 ₱723

12.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.76 ₱48.30

-5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.22 ₱13.97

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.85 ₱118

-0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.10 ₱70.2

15.45%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.52%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

-0.54%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$108 ₱6,875

11.14%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$18.43 ₱1,178

-14.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$30.97 ₱1,978

-23.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$30.96 ₱1,978

37.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$5.25 ₱335

7.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$4.73 ₱302

37.42%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$105 ₱6,684

472.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$7,282 ₱465.3K

21.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$32.48 ₱2,075

74.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$19.49 ₱1,246

40.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$69.5 ₱4,438

9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$60.5 ₱3,862

-8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$224 ₱14.3K

134.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$153 ₱9,753

94.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$447 ₱28.6K

321.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$333 ₱21.3K

144.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$2,692 ₱172.0K

47.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$1,003 ₱64.1K

135.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

8.31

-10.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Cotabato City

$153 20.7% 48.6% $144

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Cotabato City

$199 26.9% 8.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Cotabato City

$157 21.3% 1.2% $1.9

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Cotabato City

$93 12.6% 10.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Cotabato City

$82 11.1% 15.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Cotabato City

$40 5.5% 27.3% $15

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Cotabato City

$14 1.9% 13.5% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Manila and $224 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $16 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $199 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

325,079

💱 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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Between locations

Manila Cotabato City 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Cotabato 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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Manila. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,418 in Manila and $1,107 in Cotabato City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $526 in Manila versus $224 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $945 per month in Manila versus $738 in Cotabato City – Cotabato City is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 11% less than in Manila. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.