Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Mambajao

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Mambajao

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

A single person spends $948 per month in Manila vs $508 in Mambajao, rent included.

Manila $948
Mambajao $508

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Manila vs $817 in Mambajao, rent included.

Manila $1,508
Mambajao $817

A family of three spends $2,068 per month in Manila vs $1,126 in Mambajao, rent included.

Manila $2,068
Mambajao $1,126

Manila costs about 87% more than Mambajao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Mambajao are more affordable than the global median – Manila 30% lower, Mambajao 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$1.36 ₱85.9

301.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,695

$15.83 ₱997

70.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$3.40 ₱214

14.71%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$2.28 ₱144

14.91%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.38 ₱24.02

257.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.27 ₱16.81

207.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$1.03 ₱64.6

18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.12 ₱70.6

107.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$0.90 ₱56.8

117.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.1

$0.63 ₱39.56

125.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.66 ₱41.56

57.58%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$1.26 ₱79.5

76.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$5.90 ₱372

30.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$4.29 ₱270

14.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$5.50 ₱346

29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$2.54 ₱160

27.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.63 ₱103

17.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

$2.24 ₱141

30.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.13 ₱71.3

58.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.29 ₱81.3

79.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$2.06 ₱130

32.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$0.90 ₱56.8

135.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.55 ₱34.37

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.51 ₱158

26.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$7.42 ₱467

32.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$0.99 ₱62.0

35.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.13 ₱70.9

76.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

$0.20 ₱12.47

135.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$10.71 ₱675

17.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

$0.69 ₱43.54

5.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.21 ₱12.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.70 ₱107

10.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.28 ₱80.3

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.9K ₱1.4M

-2.65%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-11.29%

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

$124 ₱7,822

$64.9 ₱4,083

91.58%

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

$15.73 ₱990

$16.36 ₱1,030

-3.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,536

$20.10 ₱1,266

21.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,727

$27.72 ₱1,745

56.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

$4.68 ₱295

23.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱425

$4.95 ₱312

36.57%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$127 ₱7,995

396.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

$8,993 ₱566.2K

0.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,668

$30.83 ₱1,941

88.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

$22.01 ₱1,386

24.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

$72.3 ₱4,553

4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

$63.1 ₱3,975

-10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$101 ₱6,360

430.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$56.3 ₱3,542

404.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$237 ₱14.9K

689.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$158 ₱9,973

312.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

$2,172 ₱136.7K

104.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$990 ₱62.3K

155.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$153 ₱9,616

205.59%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Mambajao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

Mambajao

$56 11.1% 80.2% $227

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Mambajao

$156 30.7% 29.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Mambajao

$101 20% 38.4% $63

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Mambajao

$59 11.5% 45% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Mambajao

$85 16.7% 13.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Mambajao

$38 7.4% 33.8% $19

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Mambajao

$13 2.6% 18.4% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Manila versus $101 in Mambajao. 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 206% 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 $16.00 in Mambajao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $156 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

41,094

💱 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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Between locations

Manila Mambajao 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Mambajao

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 Mambajao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila costs about 87% more than Mambajao, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,422 per month in Manila and $761 in Mambajao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $948 in Manila and $508 in Mambajao. That's a gap of about 87%.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Mambajao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Manila at $948. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mambajao costs $508 versus $948 in Manila. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Mambajao. 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.