Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Malaybalay

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaybalay: $756 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
Learn more

Malaybalay Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Malaybalay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $948 in Manila versus $756 in Malaybalay.

Manila $948
Malaybalay $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Manila versus $1,182 in Malaybalay.

Manila $1,508
Malaybalay $1,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,068 in Manila versus $1,607 in Malaybalay.

Manila $2,068
Malaybalay $1,607

Living in Manila is roughly 25% more expensive than in Malaybalay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 30% lower, Malaybalay 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$4.89 ₱308

11.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,695

$16.45 ₱1,035

63.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$3.51 ₱221

11.11%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$2.18 ₱137

20.18%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.49 ₱31.14

177.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.33 ₱20.93

151.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$1.13 ₱71.2

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.92 ₱121

20.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$2.02 ₱127

-2.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.1

$1.13 ₱71.2

25.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.88 ₱55.2

18.18%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$1.87 ₱118

19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$6.41 ₱404

20.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$4.87 ₱307

0.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$9.06 ₱570

-21.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$2.77 ₱175

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.07 ₱67.2

79.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

$2.39 ₱150

22.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.14 ₱71.8

57.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.96 ₱123

18.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$3.39 ₱213

-19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$1.20 ₱75.3

76.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.66 ₱41.82

-10.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.47 ₱156

28.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$7.77 ₱489

26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$1.27 ₱80.1

5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.62 ₱102

23.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

$0.22 ₱13.60

113.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$10.70 ₱674

17.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

$0.84 ₱52.9

-13.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.23 ₱14.40

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.90 ₱119

-1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.27 ₱80.2

0.79%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-1.01%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

1.71%

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

$124 ₱7,822

$109 ₱6,856

14.09%

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

$15.73 ₱990

$19.33 ₱1,217

-18.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,536

$31.17 ₱1,962

-21.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,727

$30.01 ₱1,890

44.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

$4.18 ₱263

38.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱425

$4.86 ₱306

39.09%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$106 ₱6,689

493.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

$7,589 ₱477.8K

18.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,668

$33.02 ₱2,079

76.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

$19.31 ₱1,216

41.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

$70.7 ₱4,451

6.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

$60.7 ₱3,821

-6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$279 ₱17.5K

92.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$173 ₱10.9K

64.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$441 ₱27.8K

324.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$403 ₱25.4K

62.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

$2,200 ₱138.5K

101.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$1,006 ₱63.4K

151.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

Malaybalay

$173 22.8% 39.2% $111

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Malaybalay

$199 26.4% 10.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Malaybalay

$159 21.1% 3% $5

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Malaybalay

$89 11.7% 16.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Malaybalay

$83 10.9% 15.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Malaybalay

$40 5.3% 30.1% $17

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Malaybalay

$14 1.8% 16.4% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $536 in Manila and $279 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Manila vs $16.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $199 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

190,712

💱 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 Malaybalay 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Malaybalay

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 Malaybalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila and Malaybalay differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($948 vs $756 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,422 in Manila and $1,134 in Malaybalay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $536 in Manila versus $279 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Manila. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $27.00 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $756 in Malaybalay versus $948 in Manila, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Manila and Malaybalay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.