Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and General Santos

For one person, living is cheaper in General Santos: $628 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
31

Cost of Living Index in General Santos
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General Santos Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

General Santos

🇵🇭 Philippines

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in General Santos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $948 in Manila versus $628 in General Santos.

Manila $948
General Santos $628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Manila versus $1,009 in General Santos.

Manila $1,508
General Santos $1,009

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,068 in Manila versus $1,391 in General Santos.

Manila $2,068
General Santos $1,391

Living in Manila is roughly 51% more expensive than in General Santos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 30% lower, General Santos 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$3.38 ₱213

61.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,695

$27.40 ₱1,725

-1.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$2.72 ₱172

43.38%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$2.56 ₱161

2.34%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.28 ₱17.41

385.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.25 ₱15.83

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$1.58 ₱99.3

-22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.34 ₱147

-0.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$2.00 ₱126

-2.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.1

$1.08 ₱68.2

31.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.87 ₱54.7

19.54%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$1.86 ₱117

19.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$6.38 ₱402

20.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$4.77 ₱300

2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$9.25 ₱582

-23.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$2.74 ₱172

17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.07 ₱67.2

79.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

$2.45 ₱154

19.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.19 ₱74.6

50.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.98 ₱125

17.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$3.28 ₱207

-16.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$1.24 ₱78.2

70.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.68 ₱42.60

-13.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.46 ₱155

29.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$7.76 ₱488

26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$1.25 ₱78.5

7.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.68 ₱106

19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

$0.39 ₱24.37

20.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$8.15 ₱513

54.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

$0.78 ₱49.25

-6.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.25 ₱15.79

-16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$0.82 ₱51.4

128.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.12 ₱70.7

14.29%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

2.38%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

0.95%

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

$124 ₱7,822

$76.6 ₱4,825

62.11%

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

$15.73 ₱990

$6.53 ₱411

140.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,536

$31.67 ₱1,994

-22.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,727

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱425

$4.91 ₱309

37.68%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$109 ₱6,840

480.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

$7,532 ₱474.2K

19.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,668

$59.8 ₱3,767

-2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

$30.67 ₱1,931

-10.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

$70.3 ₱4,428

7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

$60.7 ₱3,823

-6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$174 ₱11.0K

207.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$112 ₱7,068

152.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$359 ₱22.6K

422.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$238 ₱15.0K

174.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

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 11, 2026

Last update for General Santos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

General Santos

$112 17.9% 60.4% $171

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

General Santos

$199 31.7% 10.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

General Santos

$115 18.3% 30.1% $50

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

General Santos

$81 12.8% 24.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

General Santos

$100 15.9% 1.7% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

General Santos

$9.8 * 1.6% 82.7% $47

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

General Santos

$12 1.9% 27.6% $4.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $536 in Manila and $174 in General Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Manila vs $27.00 in General Santos. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $199, with General Santos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 General Santos

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

697,315

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Manila General Santos 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
General Santos

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 General Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

General Santos wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Manila. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making General Santos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,422 in Manila and $942 in General Santos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $536 in Manila versus $174 in General Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $948 per month in Manila versus $628 in General Santos – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $628 in General Santos versus $948 in Manila, a $1,000 budget is realistic in General Santos but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes General Santos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but General Santos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $628 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes General Santos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manila and General Santos 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 General Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.