Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Legazpi

For one person, living is cheaper in Legazpi: $709 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Legazpi
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Legazpi Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Legazpi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Legazpi

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $709 in Legazpi, rent included.

Manila $945
Legazpi $709

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,094 in Legazpi, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Legazpi $1,094

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,480 in Legazpi, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Legazpi $1,480

Manila costs about 33% more than Legazpi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Legazpi are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Legazpi 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱339

$3.86 ₱245

38.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,677

$16.72 ₱1,060

58.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱249

$2.83 ₱179

38.87%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱160

$2.19 ₱139

15.53%

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

$1.35 ₱85.6

$0.64 ₱40.47

110.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱51.8

$0.34 ₱21.26

141.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.19 ₱75.2

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱151

$2.13 ₱135

11.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.58 ₱100.0

20.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.3

$1.09 ₱69.0

32.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.95 ₱60.3

-1.05%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱146

$2.60 ₱165

-11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱470

$5.53 ₱351

34.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱292

$4.08 ₱259

12.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱421

$6.82 ₱432

-2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱209

$2.29 ₱145

43.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.56 ₱98.9

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱190

$2.41 ₱153

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

$1.17 ₱74.0

50.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.04 ₱129

8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$2.27 ₱144

17.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$1.08 ₱68.7

98.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.85

$0.53 ₱33.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱194

$2.96 ₱188

3.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱606

$7.39 ₱468

29.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱82.6

$1.04 ₱65.7

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.94 ₱123

2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.62

$0.18 ₱11.23

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱808

$11.82 ₱749

7.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.60

$0.75 ₱47.31

-4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.60

$0.23 ₱14.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.83 ₱116

0.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.4

$1.16 ₱73.4

9.48%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$23.9K ₱1.5M

-13.40%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.1K ₱1.1M

3.29%

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

$120 ₱7,580

$119 ₱7,517

0.83%

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

$15.69 ₱995

$15.23 ₱965

3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,496

$30.18 ₱1,913

-21.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,698

$31.32 ₱1,985

35.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱358

$5.23 ₱331

8.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱412

$5.23 ₱331

24.28%

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

$599 ₱38.0K

$129 ₱8,160

365.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱558.9K

$7,669 ₱486.1K

14.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,592

$32.40 ₱2,054

74.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,737

$18.79 ₱1,191

45.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,839

$95.5 ₱6,054

-20.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,518

$54.5 ₱3,453

1.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.4K

$193 ₱12.2K

173.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.8K

$138 ₱8,767

114.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱119.6K

$515 ₱32.6K

266.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱51.7K

$316 ₱20.0K

158.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱251.5K

$2,906 ₱184.2K

36.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.0K

$1,050 ₱66.5K

125.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.5K

$264 ₱16.7K

76.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

10.12

-26.58%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Legazpi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Legazpi

$138 19.5% 53.4% $158

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Legazpi

$180 25.4% 16.9% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Legazpi

$164 23.2% 3.2% $5.1

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Legazpi

$80 11.3% 23.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Legazpi

$91 12.8% 6.8% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Legazpi

$42 5.9% 24.8% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Legazpi

$14 2% 11.1% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $193 in Legazpi. 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 77% higher in Manila. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $17 in Legazpi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $180 – making Legazpi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Legazpi

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

209,533

💱 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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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 Legazpi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $709 in Legazpi – Legazpi comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $1,063 in Legazpi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Legazpi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $193 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $709 in Legazpi. That makes Legazpi about 25% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Legazpi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $945 in Manila and $709 in Legazpi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Legazpi – 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 Legazpi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.