Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Mandaluyong

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $945 a month against $1,066 in Mandaluyong, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mandaluyong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Mandaluyong
Learn more

Mandaluyong Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,066

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Mandaluyong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $1,066 in Mandaluyong.

Manila $945
Mandaluyong $1,066

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $1,643 in Mandaluyong.

Manila $1,572
Mandaluyong $1,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $2,221 in Mandaluyong.

Manila $2,199
Mandaluyong $2,221

Living in Manila costs roughly 11% less than in Mandaluyong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Mandaluyong 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$4.81 ₱307

11.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,686

$16.11 ₱1,026

64.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$3.48 ₱222

12.93%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.20 ₱140

15.00%

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

$0.96 ₱61.2

40.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.49 ₱30.98

67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.16 ₱73.8

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.33 ₱148

2.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.65 ₱105

15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.31 ₱83.7

9.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$2.19 ₱140

5.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$5.07 ₱323

46.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$4.78 ₱305

-3.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱424

$6.81 ₱434

-2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$3.30 ₱210

-0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.89 ₱121

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.80 ₱115

-2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.21 ₱141

0.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$2.56 ₱163

3.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$0.62 ₱39.24

245.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.03

$0.48 ₱30.83

10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.81 ₱179

8.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱610

$8.55 ₱545

11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.1

$0.88 ₱55.9

47.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$2.02 ₱129

-1.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.76

$0.32 ₱20.54

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

$13.10 ₱835

-2.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.85

$0.76 ₱48.25

-5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.68

$0.24 ₱15.33

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.90 ₱121

-3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.20 ₱76.3

5.83%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-1.81%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

-0.47%

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

$120 ₱7,620

$138 ₱8,815

-13.55%

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

$15.69 ₱1,000

$17.04 ₱1,086

-7.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,504

$23.94 ₱1,526

-1.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,713

$31.69 ₱2,019

34.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$6.03 ₱384

7.79%

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

$599 ₱38.2K

$132 ₱8,406

353.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.9K

$8,937 ₱569.5K

-1.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,611

$27.86 ₱1,775

103.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,746

$27.00 ₱1,721

1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,865

$70.5 ₱4,493

8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,537

$55.2 ₱3,519

0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

$727 ₱46.3K

-27.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$457 ₱29.1K

-35.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$2,395 ₱152.6K

-21.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$996 ₱63.5K

-18.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.9K

$4,203 ₱267.8K

-5.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.8K

$2,924 ₱186.3K

-19.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

$537 ₱34.2K

-13.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.75

10.07%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mandaluyong: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Mandaluyong

$457 42.9% 54.1% $161

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Mandaluyong

$196 18.4% 9.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Mandaluyong

$179 16.8% 12.9% $20

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Mandaluyong

$92 8.6% 12% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Mandaluyong

$81 7.6% 16.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Mandaluyong

$44 4.1% 21.3% $12

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Mandaluyong

$16 1.5% 0.7% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Manila and $727 in Mandaluyong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaluyong pays 15% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $16 in Mandaluyong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $196 per month, with Mandaluyong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

425,758

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manila Mandaluyong 6 km

From you

Manila
Mandaluyong

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 Mandaluyong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $945 in Manila and $1,066 in Mandaluyong, so Manila is about 11% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Manila. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $526 in Manila versus $727 in Mandaluyong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mandaluyong pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaluyong – a meal for two runs $16 versus $26 in Manila. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Manila gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Mandaluyong are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Manila wins on affordability, Mandaluyong on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.