Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Ligao City

For one person, living is cheaper in Ligao City: $731 a month against $943 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Ligao City
Learn more

Ligao City Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Ligao City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Ligao City

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

A single person spends $943 per month in Manila vs $731 in Ligao City, rent included.

Manila $943
Ligao City $731

A couple spends around $1,505 per month in Manila vs $1,112 in Ligao City, rent included.

Manila $1,505
Ligao City $1,112

A family of three spends $2,067 per month in Manila vs $1,493 in Ligao City, rent included.

Manila $2,067
Ligao City $1,493

Manila costs about 29% more than Ligao City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Ligao City are more affordable than the global median – Manila 30% lower, Ligao City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 ₱349

$3.82 ₱240

45.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 ₱1,726

$16.76 ₱1,055

63.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 ₱249

$2.77 ₱174

42.96%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₱156

$2.18 ₱137

13.30%

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

$1.38 ₱86.9

$0.61 ₱38.65

126.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.2

$0.33 ₱20.98

151.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.7

$1.14 ₱71.7

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.93 ₱121

21.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ₱118

$1.64 ₱103

14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.8

$1.12 ₱70.6

27.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.4

$0.92 ₱58.1

5.43%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$1.88 ₱119

21.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ₱474

$5.63 ₱355

33.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ₱299

$4.27 ₱269

11.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱427

$7.26 ₱457

-6.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ₱211

$2.42 ₱153

38.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₱116

$1.59 ₱100.0

15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 ₱190

$2.35 ₱148

28.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ₱115

$1.13 ₱71.3

61.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱140

$1.93 ₱122

15.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱163

$2.02 ₱127

28.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₱132

$0.93 ₱58.5

125.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.23

$0.58 ₱36.44

1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₱197

$3.01 ₱189

3.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ₱598

$7.67 ₱483

23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.7

$0.93 ₱58.6

40.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.86 ₱117

8.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₱29.22

$0.24 ₱15.10

91.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.78 ₱805

$11.02 ₱694

15.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.39

$0.73 ₱46.21

5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.50

$0.23 ₱14.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.87 ₱118

-1.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₱81.0

$1.24 ₱78.0

4.03%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-0.74%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

2.90%

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

$125 ₱7,851

$121 ₱7,622

3.00%

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

$15.84 ₱997

$14.98 ₱943

5.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.01 ₱1,511

$24.57 ₱1,547

-2.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 ₱2,634

$32.97 ₱2,076

26.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ₱371

$4.78 ₱301

23.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ₱417

$5.09 ₱321

30.06%

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

$612 ₱38.6K

$133 ₱8,387

359.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,736 ₱550.0K

$8,007 ₱504.1K

9.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ₱3,655

$32.54 ₱2,049

78.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.80 ₱1,750

$19.19 ₱1,208

44.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,840

$72.8 ₱4,583

5.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,556

$56.7 ₱3,572

-0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ₱33.9K

$272 ₱17.1K

98.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₱17.9K

$174 ₱10.9K

63.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 ₱121.7K

$528 ₱33.2K

266.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ₱41.7K

$355 ₱22.4K

86.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,397 ₱276.8K

$2,415 ₱152.0K

82.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₱154.9K

$1,005 ₱63.3K

144.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$478 ₱30.1K

$273 ₱17.2K

74.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.79

9.43%

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

Last update for Manila: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ligao City: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$285 30.2%

Ligao City

$174 23.8% 39% $111

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.2%

Ligao City

$180 24.6% 17.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$165 17.4%

Ligao City

$161 22% 2.4% $3.9

Eating Out

Manila

$105 11.2%

Ligao City

$78 10.7% 25.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.5%

Ligao City

$82 11.2% 17.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.8%

Ligao City

$43 5.9% 21.6% $12

Getting Around

Manila

$17 1.8%

Ligao City

$14 1.9% 16.2% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $538 in Manila versus $272 in Ligao City. 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 75% 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 $17.00 in Ligao City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $180 – making Ligao City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Ligao City

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

3,955

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manila Ligao City 310 km

From you

Manila
Ligao City

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 Ligao City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manila is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,415 per month in Manila and $1,096 in Ligao City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 22% more in Manila, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Manila and $17.00 in Ligao City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ligao City, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Manila at $943. In Ligao City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ligao City – 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 Ligao City. 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.