Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Tuguegarao

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuguegarao: $570 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Tuguegarao
Learn more

Tuguegarao Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$570

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Tuguegarao

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $570 in Tuguegarao, rent included.

Manila $945
Tuguegarao $570

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $909 in Tuguegarao, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Tuguegarao $909

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,249 in Tuguegarao, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Tuguegarao $1,249

Manila costs about 66% more than Tuguegarao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Tuguegarao are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Tuguegarao 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱342

$1.58 ₱101

237.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,693

$16.12 ₱1,032

64.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱252

$2.68 ₱171

46.64%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$1.74 ₱111

45.40%

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

$1.35 ₱86.4

$0.42 ₱27.01

221.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.3

$0.28 ₱17.68

192.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱73.0

$1.02 ₱65.2

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.53 ₱97.7

55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.64 ₱105

16.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.2

$1.15 ₱73.5

25.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.4

$0.68 ₱43.35

38.24%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.98 ₱127

16.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱474

$4.92 ₱315

50.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$3.26 ₱209

41.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$7.94 ₱508

-16.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.20 ₱141

49.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.51 ₱96.5

19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$2.25 ₱144

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.02 ₱65.1

72.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.72 ₱110

29.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$1.74 ₱111

52.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$0.61 ₱39.30

250.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.17

$0.49 ₱31.22

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$1.84 ₱118

66.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱612

$8.44 ₱540

13.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.4

$0.96 ₱61.6

35.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$2.01 ₱129

-1.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.87

$0.24 ₱15.18

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱816

$13.38 ₱856

-4.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱46.04

$0.75 ₱47.91

-4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.74

$0.24 ₱15.42

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱118

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.1

$1.08 ₱68.9

17.59%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-2.92%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

-0.45%

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

$120 ₱7,653

$31.51 ₱2,016

279.53%

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

$15.69 ₱1,004

$16.94 ₱1,084

-7.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,510

$22.96 ₱1,469

2.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,724

$31.59 ₱2,021

34.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱362

$5.24 ₱336

7.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱416

$4.95 ₱317

31.31%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$132 ₱8,422

354.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱564.3K

$10.7K ₱683.4K

-17.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,627

$28.57 ₱1,828

98.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,753

$19.15 ₱1,225

43.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,886

$39.08 ₱2,501

95.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,552

$23.29 ₱1,491

138.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.7K

$246 ₱15.7K

114.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$169 ₱10.8K

75.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.7K

$482 ₱30.8K

291.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.2K

$349 ₱22.3K

134.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.9K

$2,480 ₱158.7K

59.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.4K

$1,104 ₱70.6K

114.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$201 ₱12.9K

131.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.75

10.07%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tuguegarao: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Tuguegarao

$169 29.6% 43.1% $128

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Tuguegarao

$170 29.8% 21.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Tuguegarao

$71 12.5% 55.1% $87

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Tuguegarao

$52 9.2% 49.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Tuguegarao

$50 8.7% 49% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Tuguegarao

$41 7.3% 25.3% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Tuguegarao

$16 2.9% 0.2% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $246 in Tuguegarao. 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 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $16 in Tuguegarao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $170 – making Tuguegarao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Tuguegarao

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

166,334

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manila vs Tuguegarao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $570 in Tuguegarao – Tuguegarao comes out roughly 40% 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 $856 in Tuguegarao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tuguegarao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $246 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $570 in Tuguegarao. That makes Tuguegarao about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $945 in Manila and $570 in Tuguegarao, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tuguegarao – 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 Tuguegarao. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.