Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and San Jose del Monte

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose del Monte: $731 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in San Jose del Monte
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San Jose del Monte Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

San Jose del Monte

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in San Jose del Monte

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 Jose del Monte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $731 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Manila $945
San Jose del Monte $731

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,096 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Manila $1,572
San Jose del Monte $1,096

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,461 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

Manila $2,199
San Jose del Monte $1,461

Manila costs about 29% more than San Jose del Monte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and San Jose del Monte are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, San Jose del Monte 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$3.94 ₱252

35.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$16.34 ₱1,044

61.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.73 ₱174

43.96%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$1.74 ₱111

45.40%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.56 ₱35.61

141.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.31 ₱19.71

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$0.94 ₱59.8

21.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.60 ₱102

48.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.64 ₱105

16.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$1.14 ₱72.8

26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$0.94 ₱59.9

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$2.02 ₱129

13.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$5.07 ₱324

46.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$3.28 ₱210

40.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$6.92 ₱442

-3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.27 ₱145

44.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.57 ₱100

14.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.37 ₱152

26.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.02 ₱64.9

72.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.70 ₱109

30.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$1.69 ₱108

57.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$0.65 ₱41.24

229.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.48 ₱30.52

10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.86 ₱183

6.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$8.81 ₱563

8.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$0.94 ₱60.1

38.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.96 ₱126

1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.21 ₱13.69

90.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$12.48 ₱797

2.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.75 ₱48.17

-4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.23 ₱14.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.91 ₱122

-3.66%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-0.70%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

-0.14%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$122 ₱7,788

-1.89%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$15.32 ₱979

2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$23.05 ₱1,472

2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$35.72 ₱2,282

19.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$5.50 ₱351

2.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$5.22 ₱334

24.52%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$129 ₱8,244

364.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$8,762 ₱559.8K

0.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$28.74 ₱1,836

97.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$18.98 ₱1,213

44.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$70.5 ₱4,502

8.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$53.7 ₱3,428

3.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$230 ₱14.7K

128.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$189 ₱12.1K

56.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$437 ₱27.9K

331.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$361 ₱23.1K

125.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$2,325 ₱148.6K

70.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$1,217 ₱77.8K

94.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

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 San Jose del Monte: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

San Jose del Monte

$189 25.9% 36.3% $108

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

San Jose del Monte

$170 23.3% 21.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

San Jose del Monte

$160 21.9% 0.9% $1.4

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

San Jose del Monte

$72 9.9% 30.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

San Jose del Monte

$77 10.6% 20.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

San Jose del Monte

$46 6.3% 16.9% $9.4

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

San Jose del Monte

$15 2.1% 6.2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $230 in San Jose del Monte. 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 $16 in San Jose del Monte. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $170 – making San Jose del Monte the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 San Jose del Monte

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

651,813

💱 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

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Manila San Jose del Monte 25 km

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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 Jose del Monte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $731 in San Jose del Monte – San Jose del Monte comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $1,096 in San Jose del Monte. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose del Monte, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $230 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $731 in San Jose del Monte. That makes San Jose del Monte about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Manila and $129 in San Jose del Monte. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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