Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Zamboanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $734 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
Learn more

Zamboanga Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Zamboanga

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

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $734 in Zamboanga, rent included.

Manila $945
Zamboanga $734

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,106 in Zamboanga, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Zamboanga $1,106

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,478 in Zamboanga, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Zamboanga $1,478

Manila costs about 29% more than Zamboanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Zamboanga are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Zamboanga 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$1.31 ₱83.6

307.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$16.01 ₱1,023

65.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$3.32 ₱212

18.37%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.01 ₱128

25.87%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$0.84 ₱53.6

60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$0.40 ₱25.33

105.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.43 ₱91.6

-20.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.03 ₱130

17.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.78 ₱114

7.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$1.41 ₱90.1

2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$1.10 ₱70.2

-14.55%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.50 ₱95.9

53.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$10.18 ₱651

-27.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$3.98 ₱255

15.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$3.28 ₱210

102.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$3.11 ₱198

5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.18 ₱75.4

52.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$3.72 ₱238

-19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.13 ₱72.5

55.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.22 ₱78.2

81.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$2.50 ₱160

6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$0.86 ₱55.2

148.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.49 ₱31.53

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$2.66 ₱170

15.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$4.06 ₱260

135.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$1.28 ₱82.1

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.95 ₱125

2.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$0.21 ₱13.30

90.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$14.20 ₱907

-10.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$0.75 ₱48.14

-4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$0.22 ₱14.15

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.62 ₱104

13.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.00 ₱64.1

27.00%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.0K ₱1.3M

3.51%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$17.5K ₱1.1M

6.39%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$118 ₱7,556

1.12%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$15.99 ₱1,021

-1.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$47.02 ₱3,004

-49.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$35.45 ₱2,265

20.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$5.16 ₱330

9.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$5.19 ₱331

25.24%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$129 ₱8,256

363.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$7,770 ₱496.5K

13.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$32.17 ₱2,056

76.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$20.70 ₱1,323

32.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$69.3 ₱4,424

10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$55.4 ₱3,536

0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$254 ₱16.2K

106.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$167 ₱10.7K

77.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$334 ₱21.3K

465.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$350 ₱22.3K

133.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$2,716 ₱173.6K

46.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$1,102 ₱70.4K

114.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$186 ₱11.9K

150.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.92

7.37%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Zamboanga

$167 22.7% 43.8% $130

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Zamboanga

$182 24.8% 15.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Zamboanga

$181 24.7% 14.1% $22

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Zamboanga

$61 8.3% 41.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Zamboanga

$80 10.9% 17.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Zamboanga

$46 6.3% 17.5% $9.8

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Zamboanga

$17 2.3% 4% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $254 in Zamboanga. 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 2.5 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 Zamboanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $182 – making Zamboanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manila Zamboanga 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manila
Zamboanga

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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $734 in Zamboanga – Zamboanga comes out roughly 22% 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 $1,100 in Zamboanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zamboanga, 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 $734 in Zamboanga. That makes Zamboanga about 22% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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