Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Pasig

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasig: $716 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Pasig
Learn more

Pasig Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Pasig

🇵🇭 Philippines

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Pasig

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $716 in Pasig, rent included.

Manila $945
Pasig $716

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,199 in Pasig, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Pasig $1,199

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,682 in Pasig, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Pasig $1,682

Manila costs about 32% more than Pasig, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Pasig are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Pasig 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$3.88 ₱248

37.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$26.26 ₱1,678

0.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.74 ₱175

43.43%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.20 ₱140

15.00%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.65 ₱41.28

107.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.33 ₱21.09

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.14 ₱73.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.34 ₱149

1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.69 ₱108

13.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$1.10 ₱70.4

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$1.00 ₱63.6

-6.00%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.99 ₱127

15.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$5.63 ₱360

31.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$3.41 ₱218

35.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$7.69 ₱491

-13.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$3.08 ₱197

6.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.52 ₱96.9

18.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.83 ₱181

6.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.73 ₱111

1.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$2.25 ₱144

-1.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$2.65 ₱169

0.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$2.14 ₱136

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.59 ₱37.41

-10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.91 ₱186

5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$9.57 ₱612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$1.30 ₱82.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$2.04 ₱130

-2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.48 ₱30.73

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.77 ₱49.10

-6.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.23 ₱14.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.93 ₱123

-4.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.22 ₱78.2

4.10%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-3.09%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.03%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$119 ₱7,635

0.08%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$16.99 ₱1,085

-7.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$24.01 ₱1,534

-1.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$29.49 ₱1,884

44.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$6.14 ₱393

5.86%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$131 ₱8,373

356.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$8,921 ₱570.0K

-1.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$33.15 ₱2,118

70.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$27.27 ₱1,742

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$69.6 ₱4,446

9.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$54.9 ₱3,505

1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$323 ₱20.7K

62.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$148 ₱9,467

100.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$504 ₱32.2K

274.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$476 ₱30.4K

71.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$3,203 ₱204.6K

23.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$2,511 ₱160.4K

-5.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$512 ₱32.7K

-8.95%

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 Pasig: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Pasig

$148 20.7% 50.1% $149

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Pasig

$199 27.8% 8.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Pasig

$160 22.4% 1% $1.6

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Pasig

$80 11.2% 23.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Pasig

$83 11.6% 14.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Pasig

$42 5.8% 24.8% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Pasig

$3.9 * 0.5% 76.3% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $323 in Pasig. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Pasig, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $26 in Pasig. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Manila vs $199 in Pasig – so Pasig wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Pasig

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

803,159

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manila Pasig 11 km

From you

Manila
Pasig

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 Pasig: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $716 in Pasig – Pasig comes out roughly 24% 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 $1,074 in Pasig. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasig, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $323 there versus $526 in Manila.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Manila and $131 in Pasig. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $716 in Pasig. That makes Pasig about 24% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Pasig – 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.