Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Puerto Princesa

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Princesa: $842 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $960 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Princesa
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Puerto Princesa Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Puerto Princesa

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $842 in Puerto Princesa, rent included.

Manila $922
Puerto Princesa $842

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $1,245 in Puerto Princesa, rent included.

Manila $1,531
Puerto Princesa $1,245

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,648 in Puerto Princesa, rent included.

Manila $2,140
Puerto Princesa $1,648

Manila costs about 10% more than Puerto Princesa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Puerto Princesa are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Puerto Princesa 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱295

$3.57 ₱227

30.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,668

$20.46 ₱1,297

28.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱255

$3.27 ₱207

22.94%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$2.18 ₱138

15.14%

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

$1.37 ₱86.9

$0.77 ₱48.99

77.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.3

$0.44 ₱28.15

102.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.8

$1.20 ₱76.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.15 ₱136

8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.69 ₱107

10.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.3

$1.14 ₱72.6

23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.4

$0.77 ₱48.94

32.47%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$1.89 ₱120

15.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱474

$4.75 ₱301

57.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱308

$4.16 ₱264

16.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱443

$7.37 ₱467

-5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$2.48 ₱157

32.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱114

$1.81 ₱115

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱184

$2.61 ₱165

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱121

$0.93 ₱58.9

105.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.53 ₱97.0

50.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$1.51 ₱95.5

78.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱138

$0.90 ₱57.1

142.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.35

$0.51 ₱32.49

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$2.78 ₱176

10.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱592

$7.01 ₱444

33.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$1.08 ₱68.5

17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$1.84 ₱117

11.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱20.94

$0.25 ₱15.90

32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱811

$13.38 ₱848

-4.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.13

$0.80 ₱50.8

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.66

$0.22 ₱14.07

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.84 ₱117

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.1

$1.02 ₱64.6

28.43%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$16.3K ₱1.0M

27.43%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

3.36%

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

$109 ₱6,924

$110 ₱6,979

-0.77%

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

$15.71 ₱996

$16.01 ₱1,015

-1.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,558

$26.74 ₱1,695

-8.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,646

$32.08 ₱2,033

30.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱370

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱407

$4.95 ₱314

29.70%

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

$606 ₱38.4K

$269 ₱17.1K

125.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱486.4K

$7,369 ₱467.1K

4.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,539

$49.23 ₱3,120

13.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,811

$27.64 ₱1,752

3.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,368

$71.0 ₱4,501

-2.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,694

$59.7 ₱3,786

-2.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.8K

$414 ₱26.2K

28.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.3K

$283 ₱17.9K

2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.4K

$797 ₱50.5K

140.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.4K

$484 ₱30.7K

61.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱258.5K

$3,936 ₱249.5K

3.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.2K

$2,410 ₱152.8K

0.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.0K

$287 ₱18.2K

75.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.14%

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

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Last update for Puerto Princesa: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Puerto Princesa

$283 33.6% 2.2% $6.5

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Puerto Princesa

$175 20.8% 20% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Puerto Princesa

$153 18.2% 2.2% $3.3

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Puerto Princesa

$80 9.5% 19.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Puerto Princesa

$93 11.1% 1.9% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Puerto Princesa

$42 5% 23.1% $13

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Puerto Princesa

$16 1.9% 2.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $414 in Puerto Princesa. 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 76% higher in Manila. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $20 in Puerto Princesa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $175 – making Puerto Princesa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

307,079

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Puerto Princesa 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Puerto Princesa

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 Puerto Princesa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $842 in Puerto Princesa – Puerto Princesa comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $1,263 in Puerto Princesa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Princesa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $533 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $842 in Puerto Princesa. That makes Puerto Princesa about 9% cheaper.

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

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $842 in Puerto Princesa to $922 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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