Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Davao

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $839 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Davao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $839 in Davao.

Manila $945
Davao $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $1,275 in Davao.

Manila $1,572
Davao $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $1,712 in Davao.

Manila $2,199
Davao $1,712

Living in Manila is roughly 13% more expensive than in Davao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Davao 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱340

$4.71 ₱300

13.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,685

$26.33 ₱1,677

0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$3.83 ₱244

2.61%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

$1.06 ₱67.5

27.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.62 ₱39.75

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.53 ₱97.3

-25.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.38 ₱151

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.96 ₱125

-2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.07 ₱68.2

34.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$0.91 ₱58.1

3.30%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.84 ₱117

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$6.41 ₱408

15.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$4.59 ₱293

0.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱423

$8.97 ₱572

-25.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.68 ₱171

22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.06 ₱67.5

69.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.43 ₱155

23.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.14 ₱72.5

54.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$1.99 ₱126

11.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$3.35 ₱214

-20.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$1.24 ₱78.9

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.01

$0.71 ₱45.16

-25.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.46 ₱157

24.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱609

$7.99 ₱509

19.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.0

$1.27 ₱80.7

2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.58 ₱101

25.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.75

$0.21 ₱13.37

90.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

$13.16 ₱838

-3.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.82

$0.81 ₱51.5

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.67

$0.24 ₱15.37

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.83 ₱117

0.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.22 ₱77.4

4.10%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-2.93%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.99%

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

$120 ₱7,617

$105 ₱6,681

14.00%

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

$15.69 ₱999

$19.14 ₱1,219

-18.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,503

$30.17 ₱1,921

-21.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,711

$34.37 ₱2,189

23.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

$3.44 ₱219

64.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$4.75 ₱303

36.84%

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

$599 ₱38.1K

$104 ₱6,643

474.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.6K

$7,536 ₱480.0K

17.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,609

$61.0 ₱3,888

-7.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,745

$30.74 ₱1,958

-10.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,863

$69.7 ₱4,438

9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,535

$60.1 ₱3,827

-7.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

$350 ₱22.3K

50.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$229 ₱14.6K

29.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$723 ₱46.0K

161.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$404 ₱25.7K

102.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.7K

$1,584 ₱100.9K

150.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.7K

$1,364 ₱86.9K

73.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

$207 ₱13.2K

125.13%

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 Davao: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Davao

$229 27.3% 22.8% $68

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Davao

$197 23.5% 8.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Davao

$154 18.4% 2.9% $4.7

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Davao

$99 11.8% 5.2% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Davao

$100 11.9% 2.6% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Davao

$44 5.2% 21.1% $12

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Davao

$16 1.9% 1.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Manila and $350 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $26 in Davao. Groceries flip the comparison at $216 vs $197, with Davao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Davao

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

1,632,991

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manila Davao 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Davao

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 Davao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Manila is about 2.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $526 in Manila versus $350 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $599 in Manila versus $104 in Davao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Manila runs roughly 3% less than in Davao. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manila, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Manila and Davao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Davao wins on affordability, Manila on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.