Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Siargao

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $783 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Siargao
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Siargao Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Siargao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Siargao

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $783 in Siargao, rent included.

Manila $945
Siargao $783

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,222 in Siargao, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Siargao $1,222

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,660 in Siargao, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Siargao $1,660

Manila costs about 21% more than Siargao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Siargao are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Siargao 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$3.66 ₱233

45.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,686

$19.68 ₱1,254

34.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$3.32 ₱211

18.37%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.50 ₱160

1.20%

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

$0.83 ₱52.7

62.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.40 ₱25.28

105.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.29 ₱81.9

-11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.16 ₱138

10.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.92 ₱122

-0.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.26 ₱80.2

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$0.93 ₱59.5

1.08%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$2.05 ₱131

12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$8.11 ₱517

-8.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$4.26 ₱272

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱424

$7.51 ₱478

-11.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.90 ₱185

13.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.52 ₱97.2

18.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.59 ₱165

15.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.57 ₱99.9

12.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.19 ₱140

1.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$2.59 ₱165

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$1.08 ₱68.6

98.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.03

$0.72 ₱45.99

-26.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.80 ₱179

9.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱610

$6.94 ₱442

37.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.1

$1.16 ₱73.7

12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$2.03 ₱129

-1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.76

$0.26 ₱16.42

53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

$11.37 ₱724

12.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.85

$0.78 ₱49.63

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.68

$0.24 ₱15.37

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$2.09 ₱133

-11.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.14 ₱72.6

11.40%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$26.6K ₱1.7M

-22.25%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

-8.03%

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

$120 ₱7,620

$112 ₱7,127

6.92%

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

$15.69 ₱1,000

$32.27 ₱2,056

-51.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,504

$27.58 ₱1,757

-14.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,713

$33.95 ₱2,163

25.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

$4.50 ₱287

25.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$5.98 ₱381

8.70%

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

$599 ₱38.2K

$151 ₱9,623

296.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.9K

$4,239 ₱270.1K

108.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,611

$45.52 ₱2,901

24.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,746

$26.51 ₱1,689

3.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,865

$76.5 ₱4,871

-0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,537

$54.2 ₱3,451

2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

$263 ₱16.8K

99.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$173 ₱11.0K

71.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$580 ₱37.0K

225.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$387 ₱24.6K

111.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.9K

$2,322 ₱148.0K

70.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.8K

$1,123 ₱71.5K

110.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.67

11.39%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Siargao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Siargao

$173 22.1% 41.6% $124

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Siargao

$202 25.8% 6.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Siargao

$172 21.9% 8.1% $13

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Siargao

$85 10.8% 18.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Siargao

$91 11.6% 6.1% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Siargao

$46 5.9% 17.4% $9.7

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Siargao

$14 1.8% 11.5% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $263 in Siargao. 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 $20 in Siargao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $202 – making Siargao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Siargao

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

150,000

💱 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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Between locations

Manila Siargao 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Siargao

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 Siargao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $783 in Siargao – Siargao comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $1,175 in Siargao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siargao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $783 in Siargao. That makes Siargao about 17% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Siargao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

For expats, Siargao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.