Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Dagupan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dagupan: $743 a month against $943 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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 Dagupan
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Dagupan Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Dagupan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$743

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Dagupan

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

A single person spends $943 per month in Manila vs $743 in Dagupan, rent included.

Manila $943
Dagupan $743

A couple spends around $1,505 per month in Manila vs $1,100 in Dagupan, rent included.

Manila $1,505
Dagupan $1,100

A family of three spends $2,067 per month in Manila vs $1,457 in Dagupan, rent included.

Manila $2,067
Dagupan $1,457

Manila costs about 27% more than Dagupan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Dagupan are more affordable than the global median – Manila 30% lower, Dagupan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 ₱349

$2.81 ₱177

97.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 ₱1,726

$12.03 ₱757

127.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 ₱249

$4.34 ₱273

-8.76%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₱156

$2.43 ₱153

1.65%

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

$1.38 ₱86.9

$0.50 ₱31.29

176.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.2

$0.23 ₱14.46

260.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.7

$1.22 ₱76.9

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.63 ₱166

-11.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ₱118

$1.72 ₱108

9.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.8

$1.30 ₱81.7

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.4

$0.96 ₱60.2

1.04%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$1.91 ₱120

19.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ₱474

$5.87 ₱370

28.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ₱299

$4.86 ₱306

-2.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱427

$6.78 ₱427

-0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ₱211

$4.17 ₱263

-19.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₱116

$2.00 ₱126

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 ₱190

$2.68 ₱169

12.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ₱115

$1.17 ₱73.9

56.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱140

$2.79 ₱175

-20.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱163

$3.54 ₱223

-26.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₱132

$1.06 ₱66.5

98.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.23

$0.55 ₱34.32

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₱197

$2.40 ₱151

30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ₱598

$5.47 ₱344

73.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.7

$0.85 ₱53.8

54.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.86 ₱117

8.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₱29.22

$0.22 ₱13.86

109.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.78 ₱805

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.39

$0.64 ₱40.34

20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.50

$0.21 ₱13.18

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.93 ₱122

-4.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₱81.0

$1.13 ₱71.1

14.16%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

2.62%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

-0.59%

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

$125 ₱7,851

$103 ₱6,463

21.47%

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

$15.84 ₱997

$16.25 ₱1,023

-2.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.01 ₱1,511

$26.02 ₱1,638

-7.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 ₱2,634

$33.66 ₱2,119

24.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ₱371

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ₱417

$5.22 ₱328

26.82%

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

$612 ₱38.6K

$808 ₱50.9K

-24.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,736 ₱550.0K

$7,459 ₱469.6K

17.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ₱3,655

$59.2 ₱3,726

-1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.80 ₱1,750

$8.00 ₱503

247.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,840

$82.2 ₱5,172

-6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,556

$103 ₱6,463

-44.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ₱33.9K

$193 ₱12.2K

178.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₱17.9K

$161 ₱10.1K

76.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 ₱121.7K

$353 ₱22.2K

447.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ₱41.7K

$260 ₱16.4K

154.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,397 ₱276.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₱154.9K

$476 ₱30.0K

416.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$478 ₱30.1K

$234 ₱14.7K

104.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

7.5

-0.93%

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

Last update for Manila: October 17, 2026

Last update for Dagupan: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$285 30.2%

Dagupan

$161 21.6% 43.5% $124

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.2%

Dagupan

$199 26.7% 9.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$165 17.4%

Dagupan

$145 19.5% 11.9% $20

Eating Out

Manila

$105 11.2%

Dagupan

$79 10.6% 25% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.5%

Dagupan

$113 15.3% 15% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.8%

Dagupan

$44 5.9% 19.9% $11

Getting Around

Manila

$17 1.8%

Dagupan

$2.6 * 0.4% 84.5% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $538 in Manila versus $193 in Dagupan. 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 104% 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 $12.00 in Dagupan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $199 – making Dagupan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Dagupan

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

174,302

💱 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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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 Dagupan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,415 per month in Manila and $1,115 in Dagupan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dagupan, 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 $12.00 in Dagupan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Manila, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dagupan, where all-in costs run around $743, than in Manila at $943. In Dagupan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dagupan – 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 Dagupan. 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.