Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Polomolok

For one person, living is cheaper in Polomolok: $612 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Polomolok
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Polomolok Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Polomolok

🇵🇭 Philippines

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Polomolok

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $612 in Polomolok, rent included.

Manila $945
Polomolok $612

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $966 in Polomolok, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Polomolok $966

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,321 in Polomolok, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Polomolok $1,321

Manila costs about 54% more than Polomolok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Polomolok are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Polomolok 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$1.53 ₱97.6

249.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$16.22 ₱1,036

63.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.06 ₱131

90.78%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.12 ₱135

19.34%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.37 ₱23.73

264.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.66 ₱42.33

24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.14 ₱72.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.12 ₱136

12.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.58 ₱101

20.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$0.89 ₱56.8

61.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$0.64 ₱40.93

46.87%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.92 ₱123

19.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$6.35 ₱405

16.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$2.72 ₱174

69.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$5.61 ₱358

18.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.52 ₱161

30.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$0.57 ₱36.13

215.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.42 ₱154

23.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$0.76 ₱48.46

131.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.15 ₱73.5

93.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$2.78 ₱178

-4.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$0.81 ₱51.5

164.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.66 ₱42.05

-19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.45 ₱156

24.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$7.06 ₱451

35.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$0.92 ₱58.5

41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.52 ₱97.2

30.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.22 ₱14.31

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$12.59 ₱804

1.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.82 ₱52.3

-12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.22 ₱14.05

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.92 ₱122

-4.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$0.85 ₱54.3

49.41%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$15.4K ₱985.8K

34.24%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$17.1K ₱1.1M

9.09%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$50.4 ₱3,219

137.38%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$18.88 ₱1,207

-16.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$26.19 ₱1,673

-9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$31.17 ₱1,992

36.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$5.26 ₱336

7.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$3.93 ₱251

65.39%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$106 ₱6,744

467.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$1,346 ₱86.0K

555.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$32.46 ₱2,074

74.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$18.92 ₱1,209

44.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$62.7 ₱4,006

21.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$61.6 ₱3,936

-9.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$254 ₱16.2K

107.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$169 ₱10.8K

75.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$558 ₱35.7K

237.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$359 ₱22.9K

127.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$2,598 ₱166.0K

52.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$1,128 ₱72.1K

109.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$233 ₱14.9K

99.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

23.83%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Polomolok

$169 27.7% 42.9% $127

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Polomolok

$156 25.5% 28% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Polomolok

$95 15.6% 39.9% $63

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Polomolok

$58 9.5% 44.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Polomolok

$79 12.9% 18.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Polomolok

$39 6.4% 29.8% $17

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Polomolok

$15 2.5% 5.2% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $254 in Polomolok. 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 100% higher in Manila. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $16 in Polomolok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $156 – making Polomolok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Polomolok

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

172,605

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Manila Polomolok 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Polomolok

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 Polomolok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $612 in Polomolok – Polomolok comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $918 in Polomolok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Polomolok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $612 in Polomolok. That makes Polomolok about 35% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Manila and $106 in Polomolok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Polomolok, where all-in costs run around $612, than in Manila at $945. In Polomolok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Polomolok. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.