Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Quezon City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quezon City: $860 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$860

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Quezon City

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

A single person spends $948 per month in Manila vs $860 in Quezon City, rent included.

Manila $948
Quezon City $860

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Manila vs $1,372 in Quezon City, rent included.

Manila $1,508
Quezon City $1,372

A family of three spends $2,068 per month in Manila vs $1,885 in Quezon City, rent included.

Manila $2,068
Quezon City $1,885

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

Both Manila and Quezon City are more affordable than the global median – Manila 30% lower, Quezon City 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$4.48 ₱282

21.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,695

$18.90 ₱1,190

42.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$2.84 ₱179

37.32%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$2.79 ₱175

-6.09%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.75 ₱47.41

81.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.27 ₱16.78

207.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$1.45 ₱91.6

-15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.83 ₱178

-18.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.68 ₱106

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.1

$1.14 ₱71.6

24.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.84 ₱53.0

23.81%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$1.75 ₱110

27.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$6.69 ₱421

15.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$4.24 ₱267

15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$7.23 ₱455

-1.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$3.96 ₱250

-18.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.36 ₱85.7

41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

$3.46 ₱218

-15.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.13 ₱71.3

58.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.35 ₱148

-1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$3.32 ₱209

-17.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$1.42 ₱89.7

49.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.97 ₱61.2

-39.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.82 ₱178

12.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$7.73 ₱487

26.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$1.33 ₱83.8

0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.79 ₱113

11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

$0.36 ₱22.92

30.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$19.25 ₱1,212

-34.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

$0.77 ₱48.63

-5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.21 ₱13.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$2.57 ₱162

-27.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.18 ₱74.6

8.47%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-0.38%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

1.02%

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

$124 ₱7,822

$163 ₱10.2K

-23.63%

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

$15.73 ₱990

$14.34 ₱903

9.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,536

$24.17 ₱1,522

0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,727

$38.36 ₱2,415

12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

$3.30 ₱207

75.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱425

$7.01 ₱441

-3.57%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$71.8 ₱4,522

777.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

$2,491 ₱156.8K

261.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,668

$35.65 ₱2,245

63.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

$22.77 ₱1,433

20.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

$77.8 ₱4,898

-2.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

$77.0 ₱4,850

-26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$312 ₱19.7K

71.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$187 ₱11.8K

51.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$746 ₱47.0K

151.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$537 ₱33.8K

21.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

$2,370 ₱149.2K

87.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$1,425 ₱89.7K

77.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$429 ₱27.0K

8.81%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

Quezon City

$187 21.8% 34.1% $97

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Quezon City

$206 24% 7.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Quezon City

$201 23.4% 22.4% $37

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Quezon City

$95 11% 10.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Quezon City

$96 11.2% 2.1% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Quezon City

$52 6.1% 7.8% $4.4

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Quezon City

$23 2.6% 39% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Manila versus $312 in Quezon City. 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 9% higher in Manila, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Manila versus $19.00 in Quezon City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $206 – making Quezon City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

2,936,116

💱 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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manila vs Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $948 in Manila, $860 in Quezon City – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,422 per month in Manila and $1,290 in Quezon City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quezon City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $948 in Manila and $860 in Quezon City. That's a gap of about 10%.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Quezon City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Quezon City, where all-in costs run around $860, than in Manila at $948. In Quezon City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $860 in Quezon City to $948 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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