Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Muntinlupa

For one person, living is cheaper in Muntinlupa: $742 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Muntinlupa
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Muntinlupa Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Muntinlupa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Muntinlupa

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

A single person spends $948 per month in Manila vs $742 in Muntinlupa, rent included.

Manila $948
Muntinlupa $742

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Manila vs $1,173 in Muntinlupa, rent included.

Manila $1,508
Muntinlupa $1,173

A family of three spends $2,068 per month in Manila vs $1,604 in Muntinlupa, rent included.

Manila $2,068
Muntinlupa $1,604

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

Both Manila and Muntinlupa are more affordable than the global median – Manila 30% lower, Muntinlupa 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$3.94 ₱248

38.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,695

$27.36 ₱1,722

-1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$2.81 ₱177

38.79%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$2.36 ₱149

11.02%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.95 ₱59.7

43.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.44 ₱27.42

88.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$1.16 ₱72.7

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.78 ₱112

30.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.64 ₱103

19.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.1

$1.22 ₱76.6

16.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.4

$1.02 ₱64.3

1.96%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$2.07 ₱130

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$5.00 ₱315

54.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$3.78 ₱238

29.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$6.93 ₱436

2.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$2.37 ₱149

36.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.53 ₱96.4

25.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

$2.58 ₱162

13.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.23 ₱77.6

45.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.79 ₱112

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$1.93 ₱122

41.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$0.98 ₱61.8

116.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.56 ₱35.06

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.90 ₱183

9.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$8.68 ₱547

13.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$1.28 ₱80.9

4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$2.09 ₱132

-4.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

$0.26 ₱16.62

80.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$12.39 ₱780

1.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

$0.74 ₱46.66

-1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.23 ₱14.51

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.94 ₱122

-3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.22 ₱76.6

4.92%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

1.48%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-0.47%

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

$124 ₱7,822

$123 ₱7,728

1.21%

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

$15.73 ₱990

$16.06 ₱1,011

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,536

$23.97 ₱1,509

1.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,727

$32.71 ₱2,059

32.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

$4.82 ₱304

20.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱425

$5.17 ₱325

30.75%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$135 ₱8,503

366.62%

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

$32.60 ₱2,052

78.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

$19.70 ₱1,240

38.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

$77.7 ₱4,889

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

$58.6 ₱3,688

-3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$270 ₱17.0K

98.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$172 ₱10.8K

65.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$517 ₱32.5K

262.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$393 ₱24.8K

66.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

$2,401 ₱151.1K

84.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$994 ₱62.6K

154.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$602 ₱37.9K

-22.49%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Muntinlupa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

Muntinlupa

$172 23.2% 39.4% $112

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Muntinlupa

$181 24.4% 18.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Muntinlupa

$163 21.9% 1% $1.6

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Muntinlupa

$83 11.2% 21.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Muntinlupa

$85 11.4% 13.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Muntinlupa

$43 5.8% 24.3% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Muntinlupa

$15 2.1% 5.4% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Manila versus $270 in Muntinlupa. 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 29% higher in Muntinlupa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Manila versus $27.00 in Muntinlupa. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Manila vs $181 in Muntinlupa – so Muntinlupa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Muntinlupa

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

543,445

💱 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

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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 Muntinlupa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $948 in Manila, $742 in Muntinlupa – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,422 per month in Manila and $1,113 in Muntinlupa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Muntinlupa, 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 $742 in Muntinlupa. That's a gap of about 28%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Muntinlupa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Muntinlupa, where all-in costs run around $742, than in Manila at $948. In Muntinlupa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $742 in Muntinlupa to $948 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Muntinlupa. 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.