Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Marikina

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $689 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
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Marikina Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Marikina

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $689 in Marikina, rent included.

Manila $945
Marikina $689

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,068 in Marikina, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Marikina $1,068

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,447 in Marikina, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Marikina $1,447

Manila costs about 37% more than Marikina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Marikina are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Marikina 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$3.94 ₱251

35.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,686

$31.68 ₱2,019

-16.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$3.21 ₱205

22.43%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.18 ₱139

16.06%

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

$0.59 ₱37.91

128.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.31 ₱19.59

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.03 ₱65.4

10.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.42 ₱154

-1.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.80 ₱115

6.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.26 ₱80.0

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$1.00 ₱63.6

-6.00%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$2.00 ₱127

15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$6.91 ₱440

7.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$4.15 ₱264

11.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱424

$6.74 ₱429

-1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.32 ₱148

41.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$2.00 ₱127

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.38 ₱152

26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$2.30 ₱147

-23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.38 ₱152

-6.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$3.53 ₱225

-24.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$1.06 ₱67.3

101.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.03

$0.68 ₱43.09

-22.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.83 ₱180

8.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱610

$8.56 ₱545

11.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.1

$0.95 ₱60.7

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.96 ₱125

1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.76

$0.48 ₱30.69

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.85

$0.68 ₱43.44

5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.68

$0.21 ₱13.35

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.90 ₱121

-3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.18 ₱75.5

7.63%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.30%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

-0.39%

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

$120 ₱7,620

$135 ₱8,620

-11.59%

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

$15.69 ₱1,000

$15.48 ₱987

1.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,504

$27.51 ₱1,753

-14.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,713

$36.07 ₱2,298

18.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$6.83 ₱435

-4.83%

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

$599 ₱38.2K

$131 ₱8,367

355.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.9K

$7,188 ₱458.0K

22.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,611

$58.3 ₱3,713

-2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,746

$27.72 ₱1,766

-1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,865

$73.3 ₱4,672

4.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,537

$55.3 ₱3,524

0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

$177 ₱11.3K

196.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$78.7 ₱5,017

277.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$318 ₱20.2K

494.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$138 ₱8,793

491.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.9K

$1,099 ₱70.0K

261.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.8K

$467 ₱29.8K

406.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

$384 ₱24.4K

21.49%

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 Marikina: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Marikina

$79 11.4% 73.5% $218

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Marikina

$201 29.2% 7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Marikina

$178 25.9% 12.2% $19

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Marikina

$81 11.7% 22.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Marikina

$97 14% 0.6% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Marikina

$50 7.2% 10.5% $5.8

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Marikina

$3.7 * 0.5% 77.5% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $177 in Marikina. 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 21% 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 $26 in Manila versus $32 in Marikina. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Manila vs $201 in Marikina – so Marikina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Marikina

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

456,059

💱 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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manila vs Marikina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $689 in Marikina – Marikina comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $1,034 in Marikina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marikina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $689 in Marikina. That makes Marikina about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Manila and $131 in Marikina. 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 $945 in Manila and $689 in Marikina, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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