Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Dipolog

For one person, living is cheaper in Dipolog: $602 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Dipolog
Learn more

Dipolog Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Dipolog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Dipolog

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $602 in Dipolog, rent included.

Manila $945
Dipolog $602

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $839 in Dipolog, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Dipolog $839

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,076 in Dipolog, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Dipolog $1,076

Manila costs about 57% more than Dipolog, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Dipolog are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Dipolog 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱342

$1.36 ₱87.1

292.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,693

$19.30 ₱1,235

37.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱252

$2.72 ₱174

44.49%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.02 ₱129

25.25%

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

$1.35 ₱86.4

$0.64 ₱40.84

110.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.3

$0.29 ₱18.78

182.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.9

$1.04 ₱66.7

9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.72 ₱110

38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.60 ₱103

19.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.2

$0.77 ₱49.00

87.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.4

$0.82 ₱52.5

14.63%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.87 ₱120

22.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱474

$5.77 ₱369

28.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$4.12 ₱264

11.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$5.71 ₱365

16.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$1.60 ₱102

105.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.07 ₱68.8

68.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.91 ₱186

3.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.43 ₱91.6

23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.84 ₱118

20.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$2.68 ₱171

-0.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$1.47 ₱93.8

45.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.17

$0.61 ₱39.31

-13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$3.04 ₱194

0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱612

$3.93 ₱251

143.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.4

$1.13 ₱72.1

15.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.26 ₱80.5

57.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.87

$0.26 ₱16.75

53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱816

$10.99 ₱703

16.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱46.04

$0.81 ₱51.6

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.74

$0.32 ₱20.75

-28.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱118

$2.32 ₱149

-20.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.1

$0.89 ₱57.1

42.70%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-2.27%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.71%

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

$120 ₱7,652

$64.3 ₱4,112

86.10%

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

$15.69 ₱1,004

$7.73 ₱495

102.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,510

$23.98 ₱1,534

-1.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,724

$32.70 ₱2,093

30.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$4.65 ₱298

21.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱416

$4.70 ₱301

38.30%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$32.00 ₱2,048

1771.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱564.2K

$8,107 ₱518.7K

8.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,626

$33.03 ₱2,114

71.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,753

$19.08 ₱1,221

43.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,885

$55.9 ₱3,579

36.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,552

$23.76 ₱1,521

133.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.7K

$156 ₱9,970

237.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$172 ₱11.0K

72.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.7K

$513 ₱32.8K

268.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.2K

$134 ₱8,602

507.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.9K

$2,401 ₱153.6K

65.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.4K

$1,119 ₱71.6K

111.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$234 ₱15.0K

99.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

7.33

1.36%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Dipolog: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Dipolog

$172 28.6% 42.1% $125

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Dipolog

$163 27% 24.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Dipolog

$96 15.9% 39.6% $63

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Dipolog

$56 9.2% 46.5% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Dipolog

$59 9.9% 38.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Dipolog

$42 7% 24.2% $13

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Dipolog

$14 2.4% 10.9% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $156 in Dipolog. 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 99% higher in Manila. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $19 in Dipolog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $163 – making Dipolog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Dipolog

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

130,759

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manila Dipolog 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Dipolog

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 Dipolog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila costs about 57% more than Dipolog, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $904 in Dipolog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dipolog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $526 in Manila.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Manila and $32 in Dipolog. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 $800 monthly budget goes further in Dipolog, where all-in costs run around $602, than in Manila at $945. In Dipolog it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dipolog – 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 Dipolog. 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.