Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and San Fernando, Philippines

Name: San Fernando
Address: San Fernando, PH

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $807 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
39

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

San Fernando

🇵🇭 Philippines

$807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in San Fernando

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $807 in San Fernando, rent included.

Manila $922
San Fernando $807

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $1,271 in San Fernando, rent included.

Manila $1,531
San Fernando $1,271

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,735 in San Fernando, rent included.

Manila $2,140
San Fernando $1,735

Manila costs about 14% more than San Fernando, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and San Fernando are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, San Fernando 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱296

$3.07 ₱195

51.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,673

$23.84 ₱1,516

10.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱256

$2.82 ₱179

42.55%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$1.71 ₱109

46.78%

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

$1.37 ₱87.2

$0.64 ₱40.43

114.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.5

$0.38 ₱24.23

134.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱76.1

$1.09 ₱69.3

10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$1.95 ₱124

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.76 ₱112

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.6

$0.87 ₱55.0

62.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.6

$0.96 ₱61.1

6.25%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$1.90 ₱121

15.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱475

$4.60 ₱293

62.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱309

$3.31 ₱210

46.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱444

$7.04 ₱448

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$2.58 ₱164

27.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$2.06 ₱131

-12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱185

$2.75 ₱175

5.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱122

$0.92 ₱58.2

107.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.38 ₱88.0

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$1.32 ₱83.8

103.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱139

$0.65 ₱41.09

235.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.47

$0.35 ₱22.37

62.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$2.71 ₱172

13.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱594

$6.96 ₱442

34.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$0.75 ₱47.73

69.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$2.95 ₱187

-30.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱21.01

$0.25 ₱15.80

32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱814

$13.59 ₱864

-5.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.28

$1.00 ₱63.7

-22.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.94 ₱123

-4.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.3

$1.27 ₱80.7

3.15%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-1.20%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

2.04%

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

$109 ₱6,946

$96.3 ₱6,121

13.48%

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

$15.71 ₱999

$17.18 ₱1,092

-8.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,563

$30.29 ₱1,926

-18.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,655

$31.66 ₱2,013

31.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱372

$15.57 ₱990

-62.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱408

$4.66 ₱296

37.77%

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

$606 ₱38.5K

$267 ₱17.0K

126.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱487.9K

$13.5K ₱855.9K

-42.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,550

$49.06 ₱3,119

13.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,817

$37.73 ₱2,399

-24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,381

$71.4 ₱4,542

-3.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,706

$78.4 ₱4,982

-25.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.9K

$402 ₱25.6K

32.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.4K

$266 ₱16.9K

8.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.8K

$724 ₱46.0K

164.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.6K

$560 ₱35.6K

39.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱259.3K

$4,249 ₱270.2K

-4.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.6K

$2,385 ₱151.6K

1.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.1K

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 San Fernando: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

San Fernando

$266 32.9% 8.2% $24

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

San Fernando

$167 20.7% 23.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

San Fernando

$144 17.8% 3.9% $5.8

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

San Fernando

$67 8.3% 32.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

San Fernando

$106 13.2% 11.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

San Fernando

$41 5.1% 24.9% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

San Fernando

$17 2.1% 4.3% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $402 in San Fernando. 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 $24 in San Fernando. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $167 – making San Fernando the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 San Fernando

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

354,666

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 San Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $807 in San Fernando – San Fernando comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $1,211 in San Fernando. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $402 there versus $533 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $807 in San Fernando. That makes San Fernando about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $922 in Manila and $807 in San Fernando, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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