Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Lucena

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucena: $646 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Lucena
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Lucena Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Lucena

🇵🇭 Philippines

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Lucena

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

A single person spends $948 per month in Manila vs $646 in Lucena, rent included.

Manila $948
Lucena $646

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Manila vs $1,041 in Lucena, rent included.

Manila $1,508
Lucena $1,041

A family of three spends $2,068 per month in Manila vs $1,436 in Lucena, rent included.

Manila $2,068
Lucena $1,436

Manila costs about 47% more than Lucena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Lucena are more affordable than the global median – Manila 30% lower, Lucena 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$1.50 ₱94.4

264.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,695

$18.91 ₱1,191

42.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$1.72 ₱108

126.74%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$1.32 ₱83.2

98.48%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.33 ₱20.88

312.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.29 ₱18.26

186.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$1.38 ₱86.7

-11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.28 ₱80.9

81.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.66 ₱105

18.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.1

$1.17 ₱73.4

21.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.92 ₱57.6

13.04%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$1.75 ₱110

27.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$6.82 ₱429

12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$4.21 ₱265

16.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$7.13 ₱449

-0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$4.04 ₱254

-20.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.37 ₱86.0

40.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

$3.58 ₱225

-18.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.17 ₱73.5

52.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.27 ₱143

2.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$3.30 ₱208

-17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$1.42 ₱89.6

49.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.91 ₱57.0

-35.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.74 ₱173

16.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$7.74 ₱487

26.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$1.34 ₱84.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.76 ₱111

13.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

$0.24 ₱14.97

95.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$12.08 ₱761

3.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

$0.81 ₱51.0

-9.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.21 ₱13.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$2.54 ₱160

-26.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.23 ₱77.6

4.07%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

0.30%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

2.89%

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

$124 ₱7,822

$47.89 ₱3,015

159.43%

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

$15.73 ₱990

$6.37 ₱401

146.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,536

$11.06 ₱696

120.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,727

$34.15 ₱2,150

26.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

$4.02 ₱253

44.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱425

$7.38 ₱465

-8.40%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$71.9 ₱4,529

776.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

$2,515 ₱158.3K

258.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,668

$35.78 ₱2,253

62.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

$22.69 ₱1,428

20.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

$79.7 ₱5,020

-5.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

$74.4 ₱4,683

-23.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$262 ₱16.5K

105.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$170 ₱10.7K

67.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$516 ₱32.5K

263.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$357 ₱22.5K

83.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

$2,274 ₱143.2K

95.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$921 ₱58.0K

174.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$320 ₱20.2K

45.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.14%

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

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lucena: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

Lucena

$170 26.3% 40.2% $114

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Lucena

$206 31.9% 7.3% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Lucena

$65 10.1% 60.3% $99

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Lucena

$45 7% 57.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Lucena

$96 14.8% 2.4% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Lucena

$49 7.6% 13.9% $7.9

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Lucena

$15 2.3% 8.1% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Manila versus $262 in Lucena. 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 46% 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 $19.00 in Lucena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $206 – making Lucena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Lucena

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

278,924

💱 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

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Manila Lucena 100 km

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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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $948 in Manila, $646 in Lucena – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,422 per month in Manila and $968 in Lucena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $630 per month in Manila and $71.9 in Lucena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lucena, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Manila at $948. In Lucena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $646 in Lucena to $948 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Lucena. 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.