Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Tarlac City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $490 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $490 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Manila $922
Tarlac City $490

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $794 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Manila $1,531
Tarlac City $794

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,097 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Manila $2,140
Tarlac City $1,097

Manila costs about 88% more than Tarlac City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Tarlac City are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Tarlac City 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱293

$2.02 ₱127

130.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,657

$24.11 ₱1,518

9.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱253

$2.74 ₱172

46.72%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.65 ₱104

52.12%

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

$1.37 ₱86.3

$0.31 ₱19.61

341.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱55.9

$0.31 ₱19.37

187.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$1.08 ₱68.1

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱148

$1.88 ₱118

24.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.68 ₱106

11.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱88.7

$0.81 ₱50.7

74.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$0.84 ₱53.1

21.43%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱138

$1.90 ₱120

15.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱470

$2.36 ₱148

216.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$2.92 ₱184

66.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱440

$7.07 ₱445

-1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱206

$1.37 ₱86.3

139.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱114

$2.08 ₱131

-12.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱183

$1.86 ₱117

55.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱120

$0.92 ₱57.8

107.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱145

$1.35 ₱84.7

70.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱170

$1.33 ₱83.5

102.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱137

$0.61 ₱38.48

257.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.11

$0.35 ₱22.33

62.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱193

$2.82 ₱178

8.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱588

$3.52 ₱222

165.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.2

$1.52 ₱95.7

-16.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱129

$3.07 ₱194

-33.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱20.80

$0.25 ₱15.75

32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱806

$9.63 ₱606

32.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.81

$1.01 ₱63.5

-22.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.58

$0.20 ₱12.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.36 ₱85.6

36.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.5

$1.22 ₱76.8

7.38%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$29.9K ₱1.9M

-30.57%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

0.38%

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

$109 ₱6,879

$94.8 ₱5,969

15.24%

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

$15.71 ₱989

$5.48 ₱345

186.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$15.64 ₱985

57.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,629

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱368

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱404

$4.76 ₱300

34.87%

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

$606 ₱38.2K

$93.1 ₱5,862

550.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱483.2K

$13.5K ₱852.9K

-43.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,516

$47.30 ₱2,979

18.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,799

$36.57 ₱2,303

-21.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,339

$70.1 ₱4,413

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,670

$62.5 ₱3,937

-6.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.5K

$55.1 ₱3,468

867.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.2K

$54.5 ₱3,434

430.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱120.6K

$186 ₱11.7K

928.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.1K

$144 ₱9,092

440.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱256.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱153.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱31.8K

$229 ₱14.4K

121.00%

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 Tarlac City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Tarlac City

$55 11.1% 81.1% $235

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Tarlac City

$144 29.4% 34% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Tarlac City

$116 23.7% 22.5% $34

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Tarlac City

$56 11.4% 43.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Tarlac City

$97 19.9% 2.3% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Tarlac City

$9.5 * 1.9% 82.6% $45

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Tarlac City

$13 2.6% 20.5% $3.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $55 in Tarlac City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Manila are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $24 in Tarlac City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $144 – making Tarlac City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

385,398

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Manila Tarlac City 110 km

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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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $490 in Tarlac City – Tarlac City comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $735 in Tarlac City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tarlac City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $55 there versus $533 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $490 in Tarlac City. That makes Tarlac City about 47% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Tarlac City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tarlac City, where all-in costs run around $490, than in Manila at $922. In Tarlac City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tarlac 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.

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