Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Lipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Lipa: $596 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Lipa
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Lipa Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Lipa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Lipa

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $596 in Lipa, rent included.

Manila $945
Lipa $596

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $924 in Lipa, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Lipa $924

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,252 in Lipa, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Lipa $1,252

Manila costs about 58% more than Lipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Lipa are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Lipa 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱340

$3.12 ₱199

71.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,685

$15.87 ₱1,011

66.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.78 ₱177

41.37%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$1.83 ₱117

38.25%

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

$0.42 ₱26.58

221.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.31 ₱19.52

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.02 ₱65.2

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.52 ₱96.8

56.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.51 ₱96.4

26.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.10 ₱70.1

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$0.83 ₱52.6

13.25%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.72 ₱109

33.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$5.13 ₱327

44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$3.26 ₱208

41.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱423

$7.81 ₱498

-14.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.28 ₱145

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.57 ₱99.7

14.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.28 ₱145

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.01 ₱64.3

74.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$1.67 ₱106

32.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$1.70 ₱109

56.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$0.60 ₱38.36

256.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.01

$0.49 ₱31.10

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.91 ₱186

5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱609

$8.39 ₱534

14.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.0

$0.89 ₱56.9

46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.94 ₱124

2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.75

$0.27 ₱17.23

48.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

$4.80 ₱306

165.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.82

$0.68 ₱43.28

5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.67

$0.24 ₱15.33

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.87 ₱119

-1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.10 ₱69.9

15.45%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.47%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$15.4K ₱982.6K

21.00%

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

$120 ₱7,617

$135 ₱8,605

-11.48%

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

$15.69 ₱999

$17.10 ₱1,089

-8.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,503

$22.80 ₱1,452

3.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,711

$31.49 ₱2,005

35.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

$3.83 ₱244

47.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$5.06 ₱322

28.46%

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

$599 ₱38.1K

$132 ₱8,375

355.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.6K

$10.6K ₱675.9K

-16.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,609

$28.79 ₱1,834

96.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,745

$19.29 ₱1,228

42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,863

$71.7 ₱4,565

6.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,535

$55.7 ₱3,545

-0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

$79.1 ₱5,039

565.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$58.6 ₱3,729

406.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$241 ₱15.4K

682.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$177 ₱11.3K

362.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

$222 ₱14.1K

110.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

23.83%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lipa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Lipa

$59 9.8% 80.3% $238

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Lipa

$168 28.2% 22.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Lipa

$175 29.3% 10.1% $16

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Lipa

$66 11.1% 36.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Lipa

$79 13.2% 18.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Lipa

$42 7% 25.1% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Lipa

$7.8 1.3% 52.2% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $79 in Lipa. 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 2.1 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 Lipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $168 – making Lipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Lipa

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

332,386

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manila vs Lipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $596 in Lipa – Lipa comes out roughly 37% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $894 in Lipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lipa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $79 there versus $526 in Manila.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Lipa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Manila and $132 in Lipa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $945 in Manila and $596 in Lipa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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