Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Pangasinan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pangasinan: $778 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Pangasinan
Learn more

Pangasinan Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Pangasinan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Pangasinan

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $778 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Manila $945
Pangasinan $778

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,151 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Pangasinan $1,151

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,523 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Pangasinan $1,523

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

Both Manila and Pangasinan are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Pangasinan 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$1.19 ₱75.9

348.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,688

$13.19 ₱842

100.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$3.96 ₱252

-0.76%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.63 ₱168

-3.80%

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

$1.35 ₱86.1

$1.11 ₱70.8

21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.49 ₱31.52

67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$0.82 ₱52.2

39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$3.09 ₱197

-22.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.12 ₱71.3

70.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.0

$0.75 ₱48.12

92.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.2

$0.73 ₱46.30

28.77%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$2.44 ₱155

-5.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$7.12 ₱454

4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$4.70 ₱300

-1.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱424

$6.96 ₱444

-4.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.31 ₱148

42.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.97 ₱126

-8.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$3.19 ₱203

-5.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$2.28 ₱145

-22.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$3.44 ₱220

-35.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$3.36 ₱214

-20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$1.09 ₱69.7

96.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.08

$0.57 ₱36.06

-7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.55 ₱163

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱610

$8.00 ₱510

19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.2

$1.36 ₱87.0

-4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$2.03 ₱129

-1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.80

$0.20 ₱12.94

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱814

$13.34 ₱851

-4.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.91

$0.64 ₱41.03

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.70

$0.23 ₱14.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.92 ₱122

-4.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$0.94 ₱59.7

35.11%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-0.13%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-3.29%

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

$120 ₱7,631

$154 ₱9,855

-22.57%

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

$15.69 ₱1,001

$15.59 ₱995

0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,506

$32.21 ₱2,055

-26.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,716

$28.13 ₱1,795

51.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

$5.63 ₱359

0.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$6.85 ₱437

-5.11%

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

$599 ₱38.2K

$128 ₱8,169

367.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱562.7K

$7,285 ₱464.9K

21.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,616

$32.75 ₱2,090

73.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,748

$19.52 ₱1,246

40.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,871

$79.3 ₱5,060

-3.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,542

$55.5 ₱3,543

-0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$245 ₱15.6K

114.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$165 ₱10.5K

80.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.4K

$447 ₱28.5K

322.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$328 ₱21.0K

148.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.2K

$2,968 ₱189.4K

33.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.0K

$1,164 ₱74.3K

103.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

7.5

-0.93%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Pangasinan

$165 21.2% 44.6% $132

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Pangasinan

$200 25.7% 7.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Pangasinan

$202 26% 27.3% $43

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Pangasinan

$70 9% 33.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Pangasinan

$84 10.8% 13.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Pangasinan

$42 5.4% 24.7% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Pangasinan

$16 2.1% 1.8% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $245 in Pangasinan. 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 $13 in Pangasinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $200 – making Pangasinan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Pangasinan

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

3,188,540

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manila vs Pangasinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $778 in Pangasinan – Pangasinan comes out roughly 18% 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 $1,167 in Pangasinan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pangasinan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $778 in Pangasinan. That makes Pangasinan about 18% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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