Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Imus

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $644 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Imus
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Imus Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Imus

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $644 in Imus, rent included.

Manila $922
Imus $644

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $960 in Imus, rent included.

Manila $1,531
Imus $960

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,276 in Imus, rent included.

Manila $2,140
Imus $1,276

Manila costs about 43% more than Imus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Imus are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Imus 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱295

$3.98 ₱253

17.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,670

$16.17 ₱1,026

62.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱255

$2.68 ₱170

50.00%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$1.86 ₱118

34.95%

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

$1.37 ₱87.0

$0.54 ₱34.53

153.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.4

$0.33 ₱21.20

169.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.9

$0.93 ₱59.3

29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$1.69 ₱107

38.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.67 ₱106

11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.4

$1.15 ₱73.1

22.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.5

$0.99 ₱62.9

3.03%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$1.97 ₱125

11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱474

$4.66 ₱296

60.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱308

$3.43 ₱218

41.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱443

$7.91 ₱502

-11.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$2.16 ₱137

51.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$1.52 ₱96.3

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱184

$2.37 ₱150

22.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.81 ₱115

5.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.73 ₱110

32.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$1.70 ₱108

58.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱138

$0.95 ₱60.5

129.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.39

$0.48 ₱30.61

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$2.99 ₱189

2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱593

$8.62 ₱547

8.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.06 ₱67.2

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$2.01 ₱128

1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱20.96

$0.24 ₱15.31

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱812

$12.60 ₱800

1.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.18

$0.75 ₱47.69

4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.67

$0.22 ₱13.97

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.89 ₱120

-2.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.1

$1.17 ₱74.5

11.97%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

0.24%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

2.42%

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

$109 ₱6,931

$123 ₱7,805

-11.19%

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

$15.71 ₱997

$15.49 ₱983

1.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,560

$23.31 ₱1,479

5.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,649

$30.79 ₱1,953

35.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱371

$5.27 ₱334

10.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱407

$5.16 ₱327

24.42%

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

$606 ₱38.4K

$132 ₱8,349

360.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱486.9K

$8,902 ₱564.7K

-13.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,543

$28.85 ₱1,831

93.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,813

$19.46 ₱1,235

46.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,372

$69.0 ₱4,380

-0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,698

$54.2 ₱3,435

7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.8K

$115 ₱7,322

361.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.3K

$97.0 ₱6,153

198.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.6K

$199 ₱12.6K

863.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.5K

$164 ₱10.4K

374.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱258.7K

$2,598 ₱164.8K

56.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.3K

$1,091 ₱69.2K

122.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.1K

$173 ₱11.0K

192.38%

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 Imus: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Imus

$97 15.1% 66.5% $192

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Imus

$178 27.6% 18.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Imus

$162 25.1% 8.2% $12

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Imus

$74 11.5% 25.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Imus

$77 12% 18.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Imus

$41 6.4% 24.7% $13

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Imus

$15 2.4% 3% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $115 in Imus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Manila are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $16 in Imus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $178 – making Imus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Imus

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

496,794

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $644 in Imus – Imus comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $967 in Imus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Imus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $115 there versus $533 in Manila.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila and $16 in Imus. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Manila, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $922 in Manila and $644 in Imus, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Imus – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Imus. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.