Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Santiago City

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago City: $862 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Santiago City
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Santiago City Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Santiago City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Santiago 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 Santiago City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $862 in Santiago City, rent included.

Manila $945
Santiago City $862

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,309 in Santiago City, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Santiago City $1,309

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,755 in Santiago City, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Santiago City $1,755

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

Both Manila and Santiago City are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Santiago City 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$6.21 ₱396

-14.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,689

$38.94 ₱2,486

-32.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$4.56 ₱291

-13.82%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.51 ₱161

0.80%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$1.10 ₱69.9

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.53 ₱33.53

54.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$2.30 ₱147

-50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$3.06 ₱195

-22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.87 ₱119

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.0

$1.26 ₱80.7

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$1.04 ₱66.7

-9.62%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.36 ₱87.0

69.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$7.00 ₱447

5.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$4.95 ₱316

-6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱424

$6.67 ₱426

-0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.34 ₱150

40.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.90 ₱121

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$3.21 ₱205

-6.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$2.31 ₱147

-23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$3.44 ₱220

-35.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$3.39 ₱217

-21.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$1.07 ₱68.2

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.10

$0.54 ₱34.42

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.52 ₱161

21.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$7.77 ₱496

23.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.2

$1.35 ₱86.3

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.93 ₱123

3.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.81

$0.23 ₱14.67

73.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱814

$12.07 ₱771

5.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.94

$0.65 ₱41.25

10.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.71

$0.21 ₱13.40

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.86 ₱119

-1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.24 ₱79.4

2.42%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

0.74%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

0.52%

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

$120 ₱7,635

$155 ₱9,891

-22.81%

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

$15.69 ₱1,002

$15.75 ₱1,006

-0.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,507

$31.94 ₱2,039

-26.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,718

$32.85 ₱2,097

29.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$4.44 ₱284

27.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$6.89 ₱440

-5.66%

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

$599 ₱38.2K

$131 ₱8,373

356.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.0K

$7,238 ₱462.1K

21.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,618

$32.32 ₱2,063

75.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,749

$18.96 ₱1,210

44.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,874

$80.0 ₱5,107

-4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,544

$54.2 ₱3,460

2.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$251 ₱16.0K

109.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$189 ₱12.1K

57.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$538 ₱34.3K

250.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$307 ₱19.6K

165.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.3K

$2,648 ₱169.1K

49.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.1K

$1,225 ₱78.2K

93.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

7.5

-0.93%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Santiago City: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Santiago City

$189 21.9% 36.3% $108

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Santiago City

$208 24.2% 3.7% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Santiago City

$203 23.5% 27.5% $44

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Santiago City

$118 13.6% 13% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Santiago City

$83 9.7% 14.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Santiago City

$47 5.4% 16.1% $8.9

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Santiago City

$15 1.7% 9.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $251 in Santiago City. 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 $39 in Santiago City. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Manila vs $208 in Santiago City – so Santiago City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Santiago City

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

108,414

💱 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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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 Santiago City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $862 in Santiago City – Santiago City comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $1,293 in Santiago City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santiago City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $862 in Santiago City. That makes Santiago City about 9% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Santiago City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $945 in Manila and $862 in Santiago City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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