Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Panglao

For one person, living is cheaper in Panglao: $795 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Panglao
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Panglao Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Panglao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Panglao

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $795 in Panglao, rent included.

Manila $922
Panglao $795

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $1,113 in Panglao, rent included.

Manila $1,531
Panglao $1,113

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,431 in Panglao, rent included.

Manila $2,140
Panglao $1,431

Manila costs about 16% more than Panglao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Panglao are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Panglao 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱293

$3.89 ₱245

19.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,657

$23.45 ₱1,476

12.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱253

$3.93 ₱247

2.29%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.14 ₱135

17.29%

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

$1.37 ₱86.3

$0.69 ₱43.44

98.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱55.9

$0.47 ₱29.59

89.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$1.54 ₱96.8

-22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱148

$1.84 ₱116

27.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.58 ₱99.4

18.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱88.7

$1.09 ₱68.8

29.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$0.92 ₱58.0

10.87%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱138

$1.69 ₱106

29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱470

$4.73 ₱298

57.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$4.52 ₱284

7.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱440

$7.65 ₱482

-8.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱206

$1.90 ₱120

72.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱114

$1.31 ₱82.7

38.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱183

$1.94 ₱122

49.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱120

$1.49 ₱94.0

28.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱145

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱170

$1.89 ₱119

42.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱137

$1.07 ₱67.3

103.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.11

$0.46 ₱28.65

23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱193

$2.89 ₱182

6.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱588

$5.73 ₱361

63.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.2

$0.80 ₱50.1

58.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱129

$1.55 ₱97.4

32.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱20.80

$0.22 ₱13.79

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱806

$12.47 ₱785

2.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.81

$0.74 ₱46.40

5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.58

$0.22 ₱13.88

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.5

$0.94 ₱59.2

39.36%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-1.36%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

1.64%

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

$109 ₱6,879

$58.2 ₱3,666

87.62%

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

$15.71 ₱989

$6.53 ₱411

140.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$23.87 ₱1,503

2.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,629

$20.83 ₱1,312

100.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱368

$5.16 ₱325

13.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱404

$3.92 ₱247

63.78%

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

$606 ₱38.2K

$132 ₱8,317

358.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱483.2K

$7,973 ₱502.0K

-3.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,516

$32.20 ₱2,027

73.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,799

$19.54 ₱1,231

46.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,339

$66.0 ₱4,155

4.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,670

$46.55 ₱2,931

25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.5K

$279 ₱17.6K

91.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.2K

$336 ₱21.2K

-13.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱120.6K

$541 ₱34.1K

254.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.1K

$396 ₱25.0K

96.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱256.8K

$933 ₱58.7K

337.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱153.1K

$1,091 ₱68.7K

123.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱31.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

7.2

3.19%

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

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Last update for Panglao: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Panglao

$336 42.2% 16.2% $47

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Panglao

$168 21.2% 23% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Panglao

$89 11.1% 40.7% $61

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Panglao

$85 10.6% 14.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Panglao

$74 9.3% 22.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Panglao

$29 3.6% 47.5% $26

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Panglao

$15 1.9% 4.4% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $279 in Panglao. 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 $23 in Panglao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $168 – making Panglao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Panglao

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

39,839

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Panglao 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Panglao

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 Panglao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $795 in Panglao – Panglao comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $1,193 in Panglao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panglao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $279 there versus $533 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $795 in Panglao. That makes Panglao about 14% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Panglao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Panglao – 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, Panglao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 14% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.