Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and El Nido

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $943 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in El Nido

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

A single person spends $943 per month in Manila vs $739 in El Nido, rent included.

Manila $943
El Nido $739

A couple spends around $1,505 per month in Manila vs $1,148 in El Nido, rent included.

Manila $1,505
El Nido $1,148

A family of three spends $2,067 per month in Manila vs $1,557 in El Nido, rent included.

Manila $2,067
El Nido $1,557

Manila costs about 28% more than El Nido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 ₱349

$4.84 ₱305

14.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 ₱1,726

$28.13 ₱1,771

-2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 ₱249

$3.70 ₱233

7.03%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₱156

$2.25 ₱142

9.78%

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

$1.38 ₱86.9

$1.17 ₱73.8

17.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.2

$0.32 ₱20.45

159.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.7

$1.30 ₱81.8

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.99 ₱125

17.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ₱118

$1.59 ₱100

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.8

$1.00 ₱63.1

43.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.4

$1.29 ₱81.4

-24.81%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$1.95 ₱123

17.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ₱474

$5.33 ₱336

41.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ₱299

$3.98 ₱250

19.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱427

$6.98 ₱439

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ₱211

$2.25 ₱142

48.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₱116

$1.54 ₱97.1

19.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 ₱190

$2.26 ₱142

33.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ₱115

$1.16 ₱72.8

57.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱140

$1.95 ₱123

14.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱163

$2.01 ₱127

28.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₱132

$0.92 ₱58.0

128.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.23

$0.53 ₱33.65

11.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₱197

$3.35 ₱211

-6.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ₱598

$7.24 ₱456

31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.7

$1.00 ₱62.9

31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.87 ₱118

7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₱29.22

$0.24 ₱15.07

91.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.78 ₱805

$10.28 ₱648

24.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.39

$0.85 ₱53.8

-9.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.50

$0.20 ₱12.47

15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.72 ₱108

7.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₱81.0

$1.31 ₱82.3

-1.53%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

12.59%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-9.93%

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

$125 ₱7,851

$121 ₱7,638

2.79%

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

$15.84 ₱997

$14.38 ₱906

10.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.01 ₱1,511

$24.44 ₱1,539

-1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 ₱2,634

$34.90 ₱2,197

19.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ₱371

$3.99 ₱251

47.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ₱417

$5.23 ₱329

26.58%

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

$612 ₱38.6K

$124 ₱7,818

393.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,736 ₱550.0K

$6,869 ₱432.4K

27.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ₱3,655

$33.86 ₱2,132

71.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.80 ₱1,750

$18.81 ₱1,185

47.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,840

$66.9 ₱4,211

14.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,556

$49.95 ₱3,145

13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ₱33.9K

$269 ₱17.0K

99.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₱17.9K

$177 ₱11.2K

60.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 ₱121.7K

$535 ₱33.7K

261.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ₱41.7K

$358 ₱22.5K

85.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,397 ₱276.8K

$2,607 ₱164.1K

68.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₱154.9K

$900 ₱56.7K

173.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$478 ₱30.1K

$257 ₱16.2K

86.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.79

9.43%

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

Last update for Manila: October 17, 2026

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$285 30.2%

El Nido

$177 24% 37.7% $107

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.2%

El Nido

$174 23.6% 20.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$165 17.4%

El Nido

$160 21.7% 2.7% $4.4

Eating Out

Manila

$105 11.2%

El Nido

$93 12.6% 11.4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.5%

El Nido

$76 10.3% 22.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.8%

El Nido

$45 6.1% 17.6% $9.7

Getting Around

Manila

$17 1.8%

El Nido

$13 1.8% 21% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $538 in Manila versus $269 in El Nido. 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 86% 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 $28.00 in El Nido. Groceries tell a different story – $219 in Manila vs $174 in El Nido – so El Nido wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 El Nido

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

50,494

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Manila El Nido 420 km

From you

Manila
El Nido

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 El Nido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $943 in Manila, $739 in El Nido – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,415 per month in Manila and $1,109 in El Nido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 24% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $612 per month in Manila and $124 in El Nido. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Manila at $943. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $739 in El Nido to $943 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 El Nido. 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.