Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Tacloban

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $771 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Tacloban

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $771 in Tacloban, rent included.

Manila $945
Tacloban $771

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,152 in Tacloban, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Tacloban $1,152

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,532 in Tacloban, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Tacloban $1,532

Manila costs about 23% more than Tacloban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Tacloban are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Tacloban 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱340

$4.00 ₱255

33.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,685

$15.55 ₱990

70.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.33 ₱148

68.67%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.31 ₱147

9.52%

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

$0.68 ₱43.43

98.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.36 ₱23.14

127.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.59 ₱101

-28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.17 ₱138

9.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.91 ₱122

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.11 ₱70.4

29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$0.80 ₱51.0

17.50%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.89 ₱121

21.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$10.05 ₱640

-26.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$4.11 ₱262

12.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱423

$7.18 ₱457

-7.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$3.18 ₱202

3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.08 ₱68.6

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.28 ₱145

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.46 ₱93.0

20.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.30 ₱146

-3.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$1.85 ₱118

43.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$1.09 ₱69.5

96.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.01

$0.60 ₱38.13

-11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$1.86 ₱118

64.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱609

$6.30 ₱401

51.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.0

$1.07 ₱68.2

21.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.72 ₱109

15.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.75

$0.20 ₱12.78

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

$12.30 ₱783

3.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.82

$0.78 ₱49.73

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.67

$0.22 ₱14.03

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.86 ₱119

-1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.04 ₱66.0

22.12%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-2.53%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

-0.89%

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

$120 ₱7,617

$117 ₱7,461

2.08%

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

$15.69 ₱999

$15.64 ₱996

0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,503

$28.34 ₱1,805

-16.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,711

$31.68 ₱2,018

34.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

$5.30 ₱338

6.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$5.36 ₱341

21.27%

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

$599 ₱38.1K

$131 ₱8,331

357.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.6K

$7,929 ₱505.0K

11.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,609

$32.33 ₱2,059

75.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,745

$19.29 ₱1,229

42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,863

$76.5 ₱4,873

-0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,535

$56.0 ₱3,566

-0.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

$254 ₱16.2K

107.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$191 ₱12.2K

55.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$498 ₱31.7K

278.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$348 ₱22.1K

134.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.7K

$2,586 ₱164.7K

53.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.7K

$1,114 ₱70.9K

112.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

$340 ₱21.7K

37.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

7.2

3.19%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Tacloban

$191 24.8% 35.5% $105

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Tacloban

$195 25.3% 9.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Tacloban

$161 20.9% 1.4% $2.3

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Tacloban

$83 10.8% 20.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Tacloban

$83 10.7% 14.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Tacloban

$42 5.5% 23.7% $13

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Tacloban

$15 1.9% 7.8% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $254 in Tacloban. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Manila. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $16 in Tacloban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $195 – making Tacloban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

242,089

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Tacloban 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Tacloban

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 Tacloban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $771 in Tacloban – Tacloban comes out roughly 18% 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 $1,157 in Tacloban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tacloban, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $771 in Tacloban. That makes Tacloban about 18% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Tacloban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

If budget matters most, go with Tacloban. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.