Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Nueva Ecija

For one person, living is cheaper in Nueva Ecija: $517 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Nueva Ecija
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Nueva Ecija Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Philippines

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Nueva Ecija

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $517 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Manila $945
Nueva Ecija $517

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $912 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Nueva Ecija $912

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,307 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Nueva Ecija $1,307

Manila costs about 83% more than Nueva Ecija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Nueva Ecija are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Nueva Ecija 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$3.85 ₱246

38.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$16.14 ₱1,031

63.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.72 ₱174

44.49%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$1.43 ₱91.4

76.92%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.55 ₱35.33

145.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.30 ₱19.45

173.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$0.94 ₱60.2

21.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.55 ₱98.9

53.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.60 ₱102

19.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$0.94 ₱60.0

53.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$0.92 ₱59.0

2.17%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.57 ₱100

46.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$4.89 ₱313

51.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$3.29 ₱210

40.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$5.70 ₱364

16.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.18 ₱139

50.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$0.69 ₱44.00

160.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$1.69 ₱108

77.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.05 ₱67.2

67.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.73 ₱110

28.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$1.77 ₱113

50.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$0.64 ₱40.93

234.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.41 ₱26.51

29.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.25 ₱144

36.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$4.23 ₱270

126.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$0.90 ₱57.5

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.97 ₱126

1.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.28 ₱18.06

42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$5.35 ₱342

138.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.73 ₱46.80

-1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.14 ₱8.77

64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.03 ₱65.9

78.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$0.85 ₱54.5

49.41%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$15.8K ₱1.0M

31.16%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.59%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$78.6 ₱5,019

52.23%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$17.26 ₱1,103

-9.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$18.13 ₱1,158

30.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$31.13 ₱1,989

36.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$4.65 ₱297

21.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$4.32 ₱276

50.46%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$133 ₱8,488

350.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$10.9K ₱694.7K

-18.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$28.55 ₱1,824

98.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$19.54 ₱1,248

40.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$70.5 ₱4,501

8.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$53.9 ₱3,443

3.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$113 ₱7,241

364.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$66.9 ₱4,272

343.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$174 ₱11.1K

982.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$348 ₱22.2K

134.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$2,619 ₱167.4K

51.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$1,200 ₱76.7K

97.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$184 ₱11.8K

153.31%

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 Nueva Ecija: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Nueva Ecija

$67 12.9% 77.5% $230

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Nueva Ecija

$144 27.8% 33.5% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Nueva Ecija

$114 22% 28.3% $45

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Nueva Ecija

$67 13% 35.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Nueva Ecija

$78 15% 20.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Nueva Ecija

$40 7.7% 28.4% $16

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Nueva Ecija

$7.9 1.5% 51.4% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $113 in Nueva Ecija. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Manila are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $16 in Nueva Ecija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $144 – making Nueva Ecija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Nueva Ecija

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

64,610

💱 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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Manila Nueva Ecija 110 km

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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 Nueva Ecija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $517 in Nueva Ecija – Nueva Ecija comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $776 in Nueva Ecija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nueva Ecija, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $113 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $517 in Nueva Ecija. That makes Nueva Ecija about 45% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Nueva Ecija. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Nueva Ecija, where all-in costs run around $517, than in Manila at $945. In Nueva Ecija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nueva Ecija – 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 Nueva Ecija. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.