Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Dumaguete

For one person, living is cheaper in Dumaguete: $790 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
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Dumaguete Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Dumaguete

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $790 in Dumaguete.

Manila $945
Dumaguete $790

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $1,195 in Dumaguete.

Manila $1,572
Dumaguete $1,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $1,600 in Dumaguete.

Manila $2,199
Dumaguete $1,600

Living in Manila is roughly 20% more expensive than in Dumaguete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Dumaguete 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱340

$3.82 ₱243

39.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,685

$15.47 ₱985

71.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$4.23 ₱269

-7.09%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.22 ₱141

13.96%

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

$0.72 ₱45.55

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.43 ₱27.08

90.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.37 ₱87.2

-16.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.83 ₱116

30.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.66 ₱106

15.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.31 ₱83.5

9.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$0.92 ₱58.8

2.17%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.79 ₱114

28.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$8.57 ₱546

-13.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$4.40 ₱280

4.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱423

$6.86 ₱437

-3.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$1.54 ₱97.9

113.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.27 ₱81.0

41.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$3.44 ₱219

-12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.28 ₱81.2

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.52 ₱160

-11.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$1.58 ₱100

68.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$0.81 ₱51.9

164.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.01

$0.57 ₱36.24

-7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.32 ₱148

31.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱609

$8.45 ₱538

13.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.0

$1.14 ₱72.5

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.27 ₱80.9

56.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.75

$0.30 ₱19.05

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

$11.33 ₱722

12.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.82

$0.69 ₱43.85

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.67

$0.15 ₱9.40

53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$2.13 ₱135

-13.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.09 ₱69.5

16.51%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.2K ₱1.3M

2.38%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.93%

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

$120 ₱7,617

$66.5 ₱4,232

79.97%

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

$15.69 ₱999

$9.65 ₱615

62.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,503

$26.12 ₱1,664

-9.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,711

$31.13 ₱1,983

36.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

$3.83 ₱244

47.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$7.19 ₱458

-9.60%

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

$599 ₱38.1K

$56.4 ₱3,595

960.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.6K

$1,650 ₱105.1K

434.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,609

$93.0 ₱5,925

-39.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,745

$31.24 ₱1,990

-12.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,863

$100 ₱6,390

-23.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,535

$111 ₱7,040

-49.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

$233 ₱14.9K

125.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$202 ₱12.9K

46.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$416 ₱26.5K

353.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$344 ₱21.9K

137.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.7K

$3,045 ₱193.9K

30.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.7K

$674 ₱42.9K

250.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

$278 ₱17.7K

67.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.14%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Dumaguete: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Dumaguete

$202 25.6% 31.8% $94

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Dumaguete

$190 24.1% 12.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Dumaguete

$102 12.9% 35.7% $57

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Dumaguete

$85 10.8% 18.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Dumaguete

$151 19.1% 55.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Dumaguete

$46 5.8% 18.1% $10

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Dumaguete

$14 1.8% 14% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Manila and $233 in Dumaguete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 68% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $15 in Dumaguete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $190 per month, with Dumaguete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

134,103

💱 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

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Between locations

Manila Dumaguete 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Dumaguete

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 Dumaguete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $945 in Manila and $790 in Dumaguete, so Dumaguete is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Manila, 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 $233 in Dumaguete. 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 $790 in Dumaguete – Dumaguete is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Dumaguete gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Dumaguete are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Dumaguete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.