Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

For one person, living is cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone: $641 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Philippines

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Manila $945
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $641

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $978 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $978

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,315 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,315

Manila costs about 47% more than Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Subic Bay Freeport Zone are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Subic Bay Freeport Zone 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱340

$4.60 ₱293

16.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,685

$14.04 ₱894

88.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$5.13 ₱327

-23.39%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.21 ₱141

14.48%

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

$0.68 ₱43.04

98.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.33 ₱21.32

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.39 ₱88.6

-17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.01 ₱128

18.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.58 ₱100

20.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.09 ₱69.5

32.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$0.85 ₱54.1

10.59%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.93 ₱123

19.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$4.86 ₱310

52.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$3.99 ₱254

15.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱423

$7.56 ₱481

-12.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.13 ₱136

54.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.73 ₱110

4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.54 ₱162

18.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.15 ₱73.3

53.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.21 ₱141

0.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$2.08 ₱133

27.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$0.92 ₱58.6

132.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.01

$0.61 ₱38.57

-13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.84 ₱181

7.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱609

$7.35 ₱468

30.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.0

$0.92 ₱58.8

41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.83 ₱117

8.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.75

$0.18 ₱11.78

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

$12.86 ₱819

-0.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.82

$0.80 ₱51.3

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.67

$0.21 ₱13.37

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.85 ₱118

-0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.03 ₱65.8

23.30%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

8.26%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$20.0K ₱1.3M

-6.49%

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

$120 ₱7,617

$135 ₱8,578

-11.21%

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

$15.69 ₱999

$14.33 ₱913

9.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,503

$16.57 ₱1,055

42.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,711

$30.08 ₱1,916

41.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

$5.28 ₱337

7.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$5.23 ₱333

24.28%

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

$599 ₱38.1K

$127 ₱8,078

372.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.6K

$7,688 ₱489.6K

14.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,609

$29.05 ₱1,850

95.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,745

$20.80 ₱1,325

31.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,863

$63.5 ₱4,046

20.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,535

$46.93 ₱2,989

18.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

$124 ₱7,896

324.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$77.0 ₱4,905

285.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$323 ₱20.6K

484.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$186 ₱11.9K

338.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.7K

$2,434 ₱155.0K

63.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.7K

$1,143 ₱72.8K

107.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.92

7.37%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$77 12% 74.1% $220

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$177 27.6% 18.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$166 25.8% 4.2% $6.7

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$94 14.6% 9.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$72 11.3% 25.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$41 6.3% 27% $15

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$15 2.4% 4.9% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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 $14 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $177 – making Subic Bay Freeport Zone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

221,178

💱 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone 79 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone – Subic Bay Freeport Zone comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $962 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $124 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. That makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone about 32% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Manila and $127 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, where all-in costs run around $641, than in Manila at $945. In Subic Bay Freeport Zone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Subic Bay Freeport Zone – 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.