Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Palawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Palawan: $784 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Palawan
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Palawan Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Palawan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Palawan

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $784 in Palawan, rent included.

Manila $945
Palawan $784

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,223 in Palawan, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Palawan $1,223

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,661 in Palawan, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Palawan $1,661

Manila costs about 21% more than Palawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Palawan are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Palawan 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$3.48 ₱222

53.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$19.38 ₱1,238

36.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$3.31 ₱211

18.73%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.52 ₱161

0.40%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.78 ₱49.78

73.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.39 ₱25.21

110.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.31 ₱83.5

-12.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.15 ₱137

10.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.90 ₱121

0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$1.22 ₱77.7

18.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$1.00 ₱63.8

-6.00%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$2.00 ₱128

15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$7.91 ₱505

-6.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$4.35 ₱278

5.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$7.62 ₱487

-12.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.87 ₱183

14.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.58 ₱101

13.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.62 ₱167

14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.55 ₱99.2

13.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$2.24 ₱143

-0.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$2.54 ₱162

4.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$1.11 ₱70.7

92.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.75 ₱48.14

-29.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.89 ₱185

5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$6.95 ₱444

37.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$1.17 ₱74.4

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.98 ₱127

0.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.26 ₱16.47

53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$11.46 ₱732

11.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.81 ₱52.0

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.22 ₱14.04

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$2.08 ₱133

-11.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.13 ₱72.4

12.39%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$26.1K ₱1.7M

-20.71%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-9.99%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$112 ₱7,135

7.09%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$33.36 ₱2,132

-52.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$27.52 ₱1,758

-14.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$34.20 ₱2,185

24.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$4.55 ₱291

24.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$5.96 ₱381

9.06%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$153 ₱9,793

290.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$4,354 ₱278.2K

102.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$46.66 ₱2,981

21.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$26.57 ₱1,698

3.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$74.4 ₱4,754

2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$54.1 ₱3,458

2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$263 ₱16.8K

99.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$174 ₱11.1K

70.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$576 ₱36.8K

227.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$390 ₱24.9K

109.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$2,321 ₱148.3K

70.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$1,122 ₱71.7K

110.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.67

11.39%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Palawan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Palawan

$174 22.2% 41.3% $122

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Palawan

$202 25.8% 6.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Palawan

$173 22% 8.6% $14

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Palawan

$84 10.7% 19.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Palawan

$91 11.6% 6.6% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Palawan

$46 5.9% 17% $9.5

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Palawan

$14 1.8% 11.3% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $263 in Palawan. 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 $26 in Manila versus $19 in Palawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $202 – making Palawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Palawan

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

939,594

💱 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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Between locations

Manila Palawan 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Palawan

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 Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $784 in Palawan – Palawan comes out roughly 17% 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 $1,176 in Palawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palawan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $784 in Palawan. That makes Palawan about 17% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Palawan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Palawan – 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.

For expats, Palawan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.