Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and San Pedro, Philippines

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro: $707 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Manila, Philippines
San Pedro, Philippines
Manila
🇵🇭 Philippines
$922
/mo nomad
San Pedro
🇵🇭 Philippines
$707
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $707 in San Pedro, rent included.

  • Manila $922
  • San Pedro $707

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $1,074 in San Pedro, rent included.

  • Manila $1,531
  • San Pedro $1,074

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,442 in San Pedro, rent included.

  • Manila $2,140
  • San Pedro $1,442

Manila costs about 31% more than San Pedro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and San Pedro are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, San Pedro 48% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Manila
San Pedro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.66 ₱296
$3.81 ₱242
22.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.32 ₱1,671
$16.66 ₱1,058
57.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.02 ₱255
$2.79 ₱177
44.09%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱159
$1.76 ₱112
42.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 ₱87.1
$0.55 ₱34.81
149.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 ₱56.4
$0.31 ₱19.67
187.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.20 ₱75.9
$1.02 ₱64.8
17.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 ₱149
$1.57 ₱100.0
49.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Manila
San Pedro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.87 ₱119
$1.63 ₱104
14.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ₱89.5
$1.09 ₱69.3
29.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 ₱64.5
$1.01 ₱64.3
0.99%
Eggs
$2.19 ₱139
$1.96 ₱125
11.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.47 ₱474
$4.83 ₱307
54.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.86 ₱308
$3.41 ₱216
42.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.98 ₱443
$6.77 ₱430
3.10%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 ₱208
$2.24 ₱142
46.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 ₱115
$1.57 ₱99.8
15.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 ₱184
$2.26 ₱143
28.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 ₱121
$1.06 ₱67.1
80.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 ₱146
$1.63 ₱104
41.10%
Onion (1kg)
$2.69 ₱171
$1.77 ₱112
51.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.18 ₱139
$0.94 ₱59.5
131.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₱36.41
$0.51 ₱32.44
11.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.07 ₱195
$2.90 ₱184
5.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.34 ₱593
$8.69 ₱552
7.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 ₱80.9
$0.91 ₱57.7
39.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ₱130
$1.98 ₱126
3.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Manila
San Pedro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 ₱20.98
$0.24 ₱15.27
37.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.80 ₱812
$12.33 ₱782
3.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.78 ₱49.21
$0.72 ₱46.03
8.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 ₱12.68
$0.20 ₱12.71
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 ₱118
$1.84 ₱117
0.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱83.2
$1.18 ₱75.2
11.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K ₱1.3M
$21.0K ₱1.3M
-0.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$19.0K ₱1.2M
2.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manila
San Pedro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$109 ₱6,936
$121 ₱7,654
-9.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.71 ₱997
$15.83 ₱1,005
-0.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.58 ₱1,561
$23.27 ₱1,477
5.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Manila
San Pedro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.75 ₱2,651
$31.50 ₱2,000
32.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.84 ₱371
$5.10 ₱324
14.51%
Cinema Ticket
$6.42 ₱407
$5.17 ₱328
24.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Manila
San Pedro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$606 ₱38.5K
$130 ₱8,257
365.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,674 ₱487.2K
$8,736 ₱554.6K
-12.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Manila
San Pedro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.8 ₱3,545
$28.24 ₱1,793
97.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.57 ₱1,814
$19.23 ₱1,221
48.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.9 ₱4,375
$71.6 ₱4,544
-3.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.3 ₱3,701
$55.6 ₱3,531
4.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Manila
San Pedro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$533 ₱33.8K
$252 ₱16.0K
111.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$289 ₱18.4K
$170 ₱10.8K
70.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,916 ₱121.6K
$484 ₱30.7K
295.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 ₱49.5K
$350 ₱22.2K
122.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,078 ₱258.9K
$2,591 ₱164.5K
57.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,432 ₱154.4K
$1,089 ₱69.1K
123.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Manila
San Pedro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$505 ₱32.1K
$125 ₱7,939
304.05%
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: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Manila
$289
San Pedro
$170 41.4% $120
Groceries & Markets
Manila
$219
San Pedro
$170 22.2% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manila
$150
San Pedro
$160 6.8% $10
Eating Out
Manila
$99
San Pedro
$72 27.6% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Manila
$95
San Pedro
$79 17.5% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Manila
$55
San Pedro
$42 23.3% $13
Getting Around
Manila
$16
San Pedro
$15 5.5% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $252 in San Pedro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Manila are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $17 in San Pedro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $170 – making San Pedro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Manila
🇵🇭 San Pedro
🕒 Local time
09:06 9:06 AM
09:06 9:06 AM
Same time as Manila
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,780,148 Capital
326,001
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.49 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Manila San Pedro 26 km
From you
  • Manila
  • San Pedro

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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Manila and in San Pedro compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $707 in San Pedro – San Pedro comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Manila compared to San Pedro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $1,060 in San Pedro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Manila and San Pedro?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pedro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $252 there versus $533 in Manila.
Which city is more expensive overall: Manila or San Pedro?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $707 in San Pedro. That makes San Pedro about 23% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Manila and in San Pedro?
Public transport costs about 4% less in San Pedro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Where should families live: Manila or San Pedro?
Families tend to lean toward San Pedro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Manila or San Pedro safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Manila and San Pedro?
If budget matters most, go with San Pedro. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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