Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Pagadian

For one person, living is cheaper in Pagadian: $731 a month against $943 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Pagadian

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

A single person spends $943 per month in Manila vs $731 in Pagadian, rent included.

Manila $943
Pagadian $731

A couple spends around $1,505 per month in Manila vs $1,112 in Pagadian, rent included.

Manila $1,505
Pagadian $1,112

A family of three spends $2,067 per month in Manila vs $1,494 in Pagadian, rent included.

Manila $2,067
Pagadian $1,494

Manila costs about 29% more than Pagadian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Pagadian are more affordable than the global median – Manila 30% lower, Pagadian 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 ₱349

$3.97 ₱250

39.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 ₱1,726

$16.95 ₱1,067

61.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 ₱249

$2.75 ₱173

44.00%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₱156

$1.91 ₱120

29.32%

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

$1.38 ₱86.9

$0.80 ₱50.6

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.2

$0.25 ₱15.76

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.7

$1.46 ₱92.2

-19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.99 ₱125

17.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ₱118

$1.69 ₱106

11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.8

$1.16 ₱73.1

23.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.4

$0.96 ₱60.8

1.04%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$1.87 ₱118

22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ₱474

$5.47 ₱344

37.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ₱299

$4.27 ₱269

11.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱427

$7.29 ₱459

-7.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ₱211

$2.35 ₱148

42.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₱116

$1.53 ₱96.4

20.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 ₱190

$2.41 ₱151

25.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ₱115

$1.13 ₱71.3

61.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱140

$2.01 ₱127

10.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱163

$1.93 ₱121

34.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₱132

$0.92 ₱58.1

128.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.23

$0.55 ₱34.43

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₱197

$2.87 ₱181

8.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ₱598

$7.48 ₱471

26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.7

$1.01 ₱63.8

29.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.94 ₱122

3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₱29.22

$0.26 ₱16.37

76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.78 ₱805

$11.25 ₱708

13.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.39

$0.78 ₱48.85

-1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.50

$0.21 ₱13.17

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.88 ₱118

-1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₱81.0

$1.03 ₱64.9

25.24%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

1.46%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

2.53%

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

$125 ₱7,851

$125 ₱7,875

-0.31%

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

$15.84 ₱997

$15.14 ₱953

4.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.01 ₱1,511

$24.15 ₱1,521

-0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 ₱2,634

$32.36 ₱2,037

29.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ₱371

$4.70 ₱296

25.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ₱417

$5.07 ₱319

30.57%

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

$612 ₱38.6K

$130 ₱8,191

370.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,736 ₱550.0K

$7,984 ₱502.7K

9.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ₱3,655

$32.64 ₱2,055

77.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.80 ₱1,750

$19.82 ₱1,248

40.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,840

$72.4 ₱4,556

6.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,556

$55.1 ₱3,470

2.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ₱33.9K

$266 ₱16.7K

102.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₱17.9K

$171 ₱10.7K

66.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 ₱121.7K

$516 ₱32.5K

274.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ₱41.7K

$354 ₱22.3K

86.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,397 ₱276.8K

$2,381 ₱149.9K

84.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₱154.9K

$997 ₱62.8K

146.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$478 ₱30.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.79

9.43%

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

Last update for Manila: October 17, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$285 30.2%

Pagadian

$171 23.3% 40.1% $114

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.2%

Pagadian

$180 24.6% 17.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$165 17.4%

Pagadian

$164 22.5% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Manila

$105 11.2%

Pagadian

$78 10.7% 25.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.5%

Pagadian

$81 11.1% 17.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.8%

Pagadian

$43 5.8% 22.8% $13

Getting Around

Manila

$17 1.8%

Pagadian

$14 1.9% 14.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $538 in Manila versus $266 in Pagadian. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Manila versus $17.00 in Pagadian. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $180 – making Pagadian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

199,060

💱 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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Between locations

Manila Pagadian 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Pagadian

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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $943 in Manila, $731 in Pagadian – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,415 per month in Manila and $1,096 in Pagadian. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pagadian, 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 $943 in Manila and $731 in Pagadian. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Pagadian. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pagadian, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Manila at $943. In Pagadian 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 $731 in Pagadian to $943 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 Pagadian. 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.