Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and General Trias

For one person, living is cheaper in General Trias: $618 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in General Trias
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General Trias Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

General Trias

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $618 in General Trias, rent included.

Manila $922
General Trias $618

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $990 in General Trias, rent included.

Manila $1,531
General Trias $990

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,362 in General Trias, rent included.

Manila $2,140
General Trias $1,362

Manila costs about 49% more than General Trias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and General Trias are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, General Trias 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱296

$4.00 ₱255

16.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,673

$16.20 ₱1,030

62.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱256

$2.45 ₱156

64.08%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$1.83 ₱117

37.16%

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

$1.37 ₱87.2

$0.40 ₱25.44

242.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.5

$0.30 ₱18.85

196.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱76.1

$1.01 ₱64.3

18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$1.51 ₱96.0

54.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.64 ₱104

14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.6

$1.15 ₱73.0

22.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.6

$0.91 ₱58.0

12.09%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$2.03 ₱129

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱475

$4.79 ₱305

55.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱309

$3.39 ₱216

43.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱444

$7.61 ₱484

-8.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$2.19 ₱139

49.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$1.58 ₱101

14.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱185

$2.29 ₱146

26.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.01 ₱64.1

89.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.66 ₱106

38.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$1.70 ₱108

58.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱139

$0.87 ₱55.5

150.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.47

$0.52 ₱32.91

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$2.94 ₱187

4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱594

$8.42 ₱535

10.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$0.96 ₱61.3

32.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$2.06 ₱131

-0.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱21.01

$0.24 ₱15.31

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱814

$12.30 ₱782

4.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.28

$0.76 ₱48.08

2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

$0.20 ₱12.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.92 ₱122

-3.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.3

$1.22 ₱77.9

7.38%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$11.6K ₱738.2K

78.87%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

3.75%

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

$109 ₱6,946

$31.73 ₱2,017

244.31%

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

$15.71 ₱999

$17.15 ₱1,091

-8.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,563

$20.95 ₱1,332

17.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,655

$31.30 ₱1,990

33.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱372

$5.25 ₱334

11.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱408

$5.01 ₱319

28.14%

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

$606 ₱38.5K

$129 ₱8,223

368.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱487.9K

$10.8K ₱689.4K

-29.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,550

$28.39 ₱1,805

96.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,817

$19.41 ₱1,234

47.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,381

$70.9 ₱4,506

-2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,706

$55.8 ₱3,548

4.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.9K

$95.0 ₱6,041

460.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.4K

$168 ₱10.7K

71.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.8K

$484 ₱30.8K

295.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.6K

$353 ₱22.4K

120.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱259.3K

$2,636 ₱167.6K

54.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.6K

$1,111 ₱70.7K

118.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.75

10.07%

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

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Last update for General Trias: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

General Trias

$168 27.3% 41.8% $121

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

General Trias

$172 27.9% 21.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

General Trias

$70 11.3% 53.3% $80

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

General Trias

$72 11.7% 27.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

General Trias

$79 12.7% 17.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

General Trias

$41 6.7% 24.3% $13

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

General Trias

$15 2.4% 5.5% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $95 in General Trias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $16 in General Trias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $172 – making General Trias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 General Trias

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

450,583

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Trias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila costs about 49% more than General Trias, 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 $1,383 per month in Manila and $926 in General Trias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in General Trias, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $95 there versus $533 in Manila.

Public transport costs about 4% less in General Trias. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $606 per month in Manila and $129 in General Trias. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in General Trias, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Manila at $922. In General Trias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward General Trias – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, General Trias is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.