Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Marawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Marawi: $718 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Marawi
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Marawi Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Marawi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Marawi

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $718 in Marawi, rent included.

Manila $922
Marawi $718

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $1,100 in Marawi, rent included.

Manila $1,531
Marawi $1,100

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,482 in Marawi, rent included.

Manila $2,140
Marawi $1,482

Manila costs about 28% more than Marawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Marawi are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Marawi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱295

$3.97 ₱252

17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,670

$16.15 ₱1,025

62.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱255

$2.72 ₱173

47.79%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$2.13 ₱135

17.84%

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

$1.37 ₱87.0

$0.69 ₱43.55

98.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.4

$0.33 ₱21.10

169.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.9

$1.20 ₱76.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.02 ₱128

15.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.64 ₱104

14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.4

$1.09 ₱69.0

29.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.5

$0.89 ₱56.2

14.61%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$1.86 ₱118

17.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱474

$5.51 ₱350

35.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱308

$4.21 ₱267

15.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱443

$7.15 ₱453

-2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$2.40 ₱152

36.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$1.56 ₱98.9

16.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱184

$2.33 ₱148

24.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.16 ₱73.5

64.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$2.12 ₱134

8.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$2.19 ₱139

22.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱138

$1.09 ₱68.9

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.39

$0.56 ₱35.58

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$2.85 ₱181

7.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱593

$7.30 ₱463

27.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$0.93 ₱58.8

36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$1.91 ₱121

7.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱20.96

$0.24 ₱15.26

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱812

$12.57 ₱797

1.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.18

$0.80 ₱50.5

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.67

$0.20 ₱12.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.87 ₱118

-1.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.1

$1.17 ₱74.5

11.97%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-2.49%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

1.40%

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

$109 ₱6,931

$119 ₱7,578

-8.53%

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

$15.71 ₱997

$15.62 ₱991

0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,560

$24.25 ₱1,538

1.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,649

$30.78 ₱1,953

35.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱371

$5.09 ₱323

14.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱407

$5.17 ₱328

24.18%

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

$606 ₱38.4K

$130 ₱8,234

366.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱486.9K

$7,809 ₱495.4K

-1.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,543

$32.78 ₱2,080

70.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,813

$19.34 ₱1,227

47.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,372

$71.5 ₱4,537

-3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,698

$54.6 ₱3,461

6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.8K

$248 ₱15.7K

114.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.3K

$164 ₱10.4K

76.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.6K

$497 ₱31.6K

285.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.5K

$352 ₱22.3K

121.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱258.7K

$2,638 ₱167.4K

54.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.3K

$1,089 ₱69.1K

123.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.1K

$277 ₱17.6K

82.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.92

7.37%

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

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Last update for Marawi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Marawi

$164 22.8% 43.4% $126

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Marawi

$179 24.9% 18.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Marawi

$159 22.2% 6.5% $9.8

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Marawi

$80 11.1% 19.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Marawi

$80 11.2% 15.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Marawi

$41 5.7% 24.7% $13

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Marawi

$15 2.1% 3.6% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $248 in Marawi. 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 83% higher in Manila. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $16 in Marawi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $179 – making Marawi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Marawi

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

207,010

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Manila Marawi 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Marawi

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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $718 in Marawi – Marawi comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $1,077 in Marawi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marawi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $533 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $718 in Marawi. That makes Marawi about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $606 per month in Manila and $130 in Marawi. 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 $922 in Manila and $718 in Marawi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Marawi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Marawi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.