Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Iloilo

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $686 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Iloilo
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Iloilo Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Iloilo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$686

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Iloilo

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

A single person spends $948 per month in Manila vs $686 in Iloilo, rent included.

Manila $948
Iloilo $686

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Manila vs $1,038 in Iloilo, rent included.

Manila $1,508
Iloilo $1,038

A family of three spends $2,068 per month in Manila vs $1,390 in Iloilo, rent included.

Manila $2,068
Iloilo $1,390

Manila costs about 38% more than Iloilo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Manila and Iloilo are more affordable than the global median – Manila 30% lower, Iloilo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$2.72 ₱171

100.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,695

$18.73 ₱1,179

43.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$3.23 ₱203

20.74%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$2.02 ₱127

29.70%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.63 ₱39.83

115.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.31 ₱19.48

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$1.10 ₱69.0

10.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.74 ₱109

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.66 ₱105

18.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.1

$1.16 ₱73.3

22.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.91 ₱57.5

14.29%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$2.02 ₱127

10.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$6.02 ₱379

27.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$4.11 ₱259

19.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$6.09 ₱383

16.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$3.31 ₱208

-2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.08 ₱68.1

77.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

$2.95 ₱186

-0.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.43 ₱90.1

25.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.29 ₱144

1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$2.72 ₱171

0.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$1.45 ₱91.6

46.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.84 ₱52.6

-29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.97 ₱187

7.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$6.35 ₱400

54.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$1.10 ₱69.2

21.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.25 ₱78.7

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

$0.22 ₱13.83

113.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$4.68 ₱294

168.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

$0.78 ₱48.87

-6.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.34 ₱21.29

-38.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$2.44 ₱153

-23.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.21 ₱76.4

5.79%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-1.30%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

-1.48%

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

$124 ₱7,822

$62.7 ₱3,947

98.18%

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

$15.73 ₱990

$9.43 ₱594

66.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,536

$27.38 ₱1,724

-10.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,727

$9.34 ₱588

363.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱425

$4.89 ₱308

38.24%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$32.47 ₱2,044

1840.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,668

$23.44 ₱1,476

148.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

$17.15 ₱1,080

59.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

$56.7 ₱3,570

33.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

$23.75 ₱1,496

138.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$306 ₱19.3K

75.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$249 ₱15.7K

13.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$1,175 ₱74.0K

59.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$437 ₱27.5K

49.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

$3,747 ₱235.9K

18.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$1,026 ₱64.6K

146.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$201 ₱12.7K

131.91%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

Iloilo

$249 36.3% 12.2% $35

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Iloilo

$188 27.4% 15.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Iloilo

$100 14.5% 39.5% $65

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Iloilo

$68 10% 35.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Iloilo

$54 7.9% 44.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Iloilo

$19 2.8% 66.4% $38

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Iloilo

$8 1.2% 50.5% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Manila versus $306 in Iloilo. 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 132% 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 $19.00 in Iloilo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $188 – making Iloilo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Iloilo

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

457,626

💱 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

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Manila Iloilo 470 km

From you

Manila
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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 Iloilo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,422 per month in Manila and $1,029 in Iloilo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Manila and $19.00 in Iloilo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $948 in Manila and $686 in Iloilo. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iloilo, where all-in costs run around $686, than in Manila at $948. In Iloilo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Iloilo. 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.