Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Dasmarinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Dasmarinas: $496 a month against $943 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Dasmarinas
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Dasmarinas Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Dasmarinas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Dasmarinas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Manila versus $496 in Dasmarinas.

Manila $943
Dasmarinas $496

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,505 in Manila versus $738 in Dasmarinas.

Manila $1,505
Dasmarinas $738

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,067 in Manila versus $980 in Dasmarinas.

Manila $2,067
Dasmarinas $980

Living in Manila is roughly 90% more expensive than in Dasmarinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 30% lower, Dasmarinas 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 ₱349

$4.08 ₱257

35.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 ₱1,726

$16.95 ₱1,067

61.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 ₱249

$2.71 ₱171

46.13%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₱156

$1.75 ₱110

41.14%

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

$1.38 ₱86.9

$0.57 ₱35.76

142.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.2

$0.31 ₱19.30

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.7

$0.96 ₱60.1

21.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.58 ₱99.4

48.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ₱118

$1.39 ₱87.5

35.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.8

$1.10 ₱69.5

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.4

$0.66 ₱41.36

46.97%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$1.79 ₱113

27.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ₱474

$4.94 ₱311

52.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ₱299

$3.49 ₱219

36.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱427

$4.72 ₱297

43.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ₱211

$2.26 ₱143

48.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₱116

$1.61 ₱102

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 ₱190

$2.38 ₱150

26.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ₱115

$1.07 ₱67.3

71.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱140

$1.75 ₱110

27.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱163

$1.72 ₱108

50.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₱132

$0.61 ₱38.39

244.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.23

$0.52 ₱32.54

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₱197

$2.88 ₱181

8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ₱598

$8.59 ₱541

10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.7

$0.93 ₱58.5

40.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.99 ₱125

1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₱29.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.78 ₱805

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.39

$0.78 ₱48.96

-1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.50

$0.25 ₱15.76

-8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₱81.0

$1.11 ₱70.1

16.22%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

0.97%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

2.87%

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

$125 ₱7,851

$48.45 ₱3,050

157.36%

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

$15.84 ₱997

$17.55 ₱1,105

-9.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.01 ₱1,511

$23.72 ₱1,494

1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 ₱2,634

$33.43 ₱2,105

25.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ₱371

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ₱417

$5.30 ₱334

24.91%

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

$612 ₱38.6K

$134 ₱8,415

358.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,736 ₱550.0K

$10.7K ₱674.0K

-18.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ₱3,655

$28.53 ₱1,796

103.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.80 ₱1,750

$19.55 ₱1,231

42.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,840

$72.5 ₱4,561

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,556

$56.4 ₱3,552

0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ₱33.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₱17.9K

$46.95 ₱2,956

506.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 ₱121.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ₱41.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,397 ₱276.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₱154.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$478 ₱30.1K

$353 ₱22.2K

35.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.4

16.09%

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

Last update for Manila: October 17, 2026

Last update for Dasmarinas: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$285 30.2%

Dasmarinas

$47 9.5% 83.5% $238

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.2%

Dasmarinas

$160 32.3% 26.8% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$165 17.4%

Dasmarinas

$90 18.1% 45.5% $75

Eating Out

Manila

$105 11.2%

Dasmarinas

$73 14.8% 30.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.5%

Dasmarinas

$80 16.1% 19.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.8%

Dasmarinas

$44 8.9% 20.1% $11

Getting Around

Manila

$17 1.8%

Dasmarinas

$2 * 0.4% 87.7% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

Manila pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $27.00 in Manila vs $17.00 in Dasmarinas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $160 per month, with Dasmarinas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Dasmarinas

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

659,019

💱 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 Dasmarinas 30 km

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Manila
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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 Dasmarinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila and Dasmarinas differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($943 vs $496 including rent). Dasmarinas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Manila, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $612 in Manila versus $134 in Dasmarinas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dasmarinas – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $27.00 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $496 in Dasmarinas versus $943 in Manila, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dasmarinas but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Dasmarinas the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

Safety-wise, Manila and Dasmarinas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dasmarinas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.