Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Taguig City

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $922 a month against $1,120 in Taguig City, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taguig City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Taguig City
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Taguig City Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Taguig City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $1,120 in Taguig City, rent included.

Manila $922
Taguig City $1,120

A couple spends around $1,561 per month in Manila vs $1,736 in Taguig City, rent included.

Manila $1,561
Taguig City $1,736

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $2,352 in Taguig City, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Taguig City $2,352

Manila is about 18% cheaper than Taguig City.

Both Manila and Taguig City are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Taguig City 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱295

$3.22 ₱204

44.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,668

$26.46 ₱1,677

-0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱255

$3.51 ₱222

14.53%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$1.79 ₱113

40.22%

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

$1.37 ₱86.9

$0.93 ₱59.0

47.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.3

$0.38 ₱24.23

134.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.8

$1.16 ₱73.4

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.16 ₱137

8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.89 ₱120

-1.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.3

$1.35 ₱85.7

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.4

$0.85 ₱54.0

20.00%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$2.05 ₱130

6.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱474

$4.66 ₱296

60.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱308

$3.22 ₱204

50.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱443

$6.86 ₱435

1.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$2.57 ₱163

27.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱114

$1.84 ₱117

-1.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱184

$2.78 ₱176

4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱121

$0.87 ₱54.9

119.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.41 ₱89.2

63.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$1.31 ₱82.9

105.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱138

$0.62 ₱39.23

251.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.35

$0.33 ₱20.89

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$2.67 ₱169

14.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱592

$6.93 ₱439

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$0.77 ₱49.10

64.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$1.98 ₱125

3.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱20.94

$0.21 ₱13.28

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱811

$13.21 ₱837

-3.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.13

$1.01 ₱64.3

-22.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.66

$0.22 ₱13.94

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.88 ₱119

-1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.1

$1.30 ₱82.7

0.77%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-1.53%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

2.95%

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

$109 ₱6,924

$111 ₱7,055

-1.84%

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

$15.71 ₱996

$15.43 ₱978

1.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,558

$24.44 ₱1,549

0.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,646

$31.70 ₱2,009

31.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱370

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱407

$6.22 ₱394

3.22%

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

$606 ₱38.4K

$619 ₱39.3K

-2.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱486.4K

$13.7K ₱868.1K

-43.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,539

$48.46 ₱3,071

15.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,811

$28.31 ₱1,794

0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,368

$72.2 ₱4,577

-4.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,694

$59.7 ₱3,784

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.8K

$874 ₱55.4K

-39.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.3K

$573 ₱36.3K

-49.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.4K

$3,211 ₱203.5K

-40.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.4K

$1,786 ₱113.2K

-56.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱258.5K

$5,522 ₱350.0K

-26.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.2K

$3,869 ₱245.3K

-37.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.0K

$550 ₱34.8K

-8.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.14%

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

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Last update for Taguig City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Taguig City

$573 51.1% 98.1% $284

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Taguig City

$169 15.1% 22.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Taguig City

$151 13.5% 1.1% $1.6

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Taguig City

$73 6.5% 26.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Taguig City

$94 8.4% 1.4% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Taguig City

$44 3.9% 19.1% $10

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Taguig City

$16 1.4% 1.7% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $823 in Taguig 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 $27 in Taguig City. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Manila vs $193 in Taguig City – so Taguig City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Taguig City

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

47,397

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Manila Taguig City 14 km

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Manila
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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 Taguig City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $1,680 in Taguig City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $526 there versus $823 in Taguig City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $1,120 in Taguig City. That makes Manila about 18% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manila costs $922 versus $1,120 in Taguig City. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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