Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Vigan

For one person, living is cheaper in Vigan: $720 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Vigan
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Vigan Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Vigan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Vigan

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Manila vs $720 in Vigan, rent included.

Manila $922
Vigan $720

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Manila vs $1,087 in Vigan, rent included.

Manila $1,531
Vigan $1,087

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Manila vs $1,455 in Vigan, rent included.

Manila $2,140
Vigan $1,455

Manila costs about 28% more than Vigan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Vigan are more affordable than the global median – Manila 32% lower, Vigan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱296

$3.88 ₱247

20.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.32 ₱1,673

$16.73 ₱1,064

57.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 ₱256

$1.74 ₱111

131.03%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱159

$1.76 ₱112

42.61%

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

$1.37 ₱87.2

$0.58 ₱37.14

136.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.5

$0.31 ₱19.45

187.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱76.1

$1.00 ₱63.8

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱149

$1.58 ₱100

48.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.57 ₱100

19.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱89.6

$1.14 ₱72.4

23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.6

$1.00 ₱63.7

2.00%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱139

$1.99 ₱127

10.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 ₱475

$4.84 ₱308

54.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱309

$3.29 ₱209

47.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱444

$7.53 ₱479

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ₱208

$2.24 ₱142

46.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$1.58 ₱100

14.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱185

$2.35 ₱150

23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.01 ₱64.4

89.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.70 ₱108

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱171

$1.70 ₱108

58.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₱139

$0.87 ₱55.1

150.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.47

$0.52 ₱32.97

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ₱195

$2.93 ₱186

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 ₱594

$8.50 ₱540

9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$0.94 ₱59.6

35.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$2.04 ₱130

0.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₱21.01

$0.24 ₱15.33

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.80 ₱814

$12.42 ₱790

3.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.28

$0.80 ₱50.6

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

$0.20 ₱12.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.84 ₱117

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.3

$1.24 ₱79.0

5.65%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

0.56%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

4.69%

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

$109 ₱6,946

$137 ₱8,697

-20.13%

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

$15.71 ₱999

$17.37 ₱1,104

-9.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.58 ₱1,563

$23.09 ₱1,468

6.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 ₱2,655

$31.16 ₱1,981

33.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 ₱372

$5.31 ₱337

9.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ₱408

$5.20 ₱331

23.46%

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

$606 ₱38.5K

$132 ₱8,371

360.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 ₱487.9K

$10.5K ₱670.0K

-27.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ₱3,550

$28.61 ₱1,819

95.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.57 ₱1,817

$19.14 ₱1,217

49.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 ₱4,381

$70.6 ₱4,491

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 ₱3,706

$54.1 ₱3,438

7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₱33.9K

$251 ₱16.0K

111.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.4K

$167 ₱10.6K

72.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱121.8K

$490 ₱31.1K

291.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₱49.6K

$345 ₱21.9K

126.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,078 ₱259.3K

$2,582 ₱164.2K

57.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 ₱154.6K

$1,091 ₱69.4K

122.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.1K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vigan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$289 31.4%

Vigan

$167 23.3% 42.1% $122

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$219 23.7%

Vigan

$172 23.9% 21.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$150 16.2%

Vigan

$177 24.6% 18.5% $28

Eating Out

Manila

$99 10.8%

Vigan

$69 9.6% 30.2% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$95 10.3%

Vigan

$78 10.8% 18.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$55 5.9%

Vigan

$42 5.8% 23.9% $13

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Vigan

$15 2.1% 4.5% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Manila versus $251 in Vigan. 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 $17 in Vigan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $172 – making Vigan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Vigan

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

53,879

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Vigan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $922 in Manila, $720 in Vigan – Vigan comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,383 per month in Manila and $1,080 in Vigan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vigan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $533 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $922 in Manila and $720 in Vigan. That makes Vigan about 22% cheaper.

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

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $922 in Manila and $720 in Vigan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Vigan – 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.

For expats, Vigan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 22% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.