Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Island Garden City of Samal

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $706 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
Learn more

Island Garden City of Samal Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $706 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Manila $945
Island Garden City of Samal $706

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,082 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Island Garden City of Samal $1,082

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,458 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Island Garden City of Samal $1,458

Manila costs about 34% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Island Garden City of Samal are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Island Garden City of Samal 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱342

$1.14 ₱72.9

368.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,693

$16.35 ₱1,046

61.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱252

$3.79 ₱243

3.69%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.11 ₱135

19.91%

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

$1.35 ₱86.4

$1.06 ₱67.6

27.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.3

$0.66 ₱42.32

24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.9

$1.15 ₱73.8

-0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.11 ₱135

12.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.98 ₱127

-3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.2

$1.07 ₱68.5

34.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.4

$0.89 ₱57.3

5.62%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.86 ₱119

23.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱474

$6.35 ₱407

16.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$4.74 ₱304

-2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$9.36 ₱599

-28.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.68 ₱172

22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.11 ₱70.7

62.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.41 ₱154

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.14 ₱72.8

54.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.91 ₱122

16.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$3.31 ₱212

-19.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$1.19 ₱76.1

79.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.17

$0.66 ₱42.07

-19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.44 ₱156

25.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱612

$7.84 ₱502

22.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.4

$1.27 ₱81.2

2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.65 ₱106

20.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.87

$0.20 ₱13.11

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱816

$11.01 ₱705

15.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱46.04

$0.76 ₱48.74

-5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.74

$0.24 ₱15.36

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱118

$1.82 ₱117

1.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.1

$1.22 ₱78.2

4.10%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

0.46%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

-0.69%

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

$120 ₱7,652

$99.2 ₱6,344

20.62%

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

$15.69 ₱1,004

$18.94 ₱1,212

-17.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,510

$31.09 ₱1,990

-24.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,724

$27.50 ₱1,760

54.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$5.11 ₱327

10.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱416

$4.76 ₱304

36.55%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$107 ₱6,835

460.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱564.2K

$7,424 ₱475.1K

18.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,626

$32.48 ₱2,079

74.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,753

$18.95 ₱1,212

44.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,885

$69.2 ₱4,427

10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,552

$61.0 ₱3,902

-8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.7K

$219 ₱14.0K

139.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$163 ₱10.4K

81.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.7K

$496 ₱31.8K

280.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.2K

$336 ₱21.5K

142.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.9K

$2,516 ₱161.0K

57.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.4K

$1,212 ₱77.6K

95.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Island Garden City of Samal

$163 23.1% 45% $134

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Island Garden City of Samal

$198 28.1% 8.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Island Garden City of Samal

$149 21.1% 6.1% $9.7

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Island Garden City of Samal

$63 8.9% 39.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Island Garden City of Samal

$82 11.6% 15.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Island Garden City of Samal

$37 5.2% 33.4% $19

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Island Garden City of Samal

$14 2% 15.1% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $219 in Island Garden City of Samal. 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 Island Garden City of Samal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $198 – making Island Garden City of Samal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

116,771

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Island Garden City of Samal 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila costs about 34% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $1,059 in Island Garden City of Samal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $219 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $706 in Island Garden City of Samal. That’s a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Island Garden City of Samal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Island Garden City of Samal, where all-in costs run around $706, than in Manila at $945. In Island Garden City of Samal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Island Garden City of Samal – 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.

For expats, Island Garden City of Samal is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 34% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.