Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marawi and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Marawi: $720 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Marawi
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Marawi Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Marawi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$720

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marawi and in Manila

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Marawi and in Manila actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $720 per month in Marawi vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Marawi $720
Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in Marawi vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Marawi $1,102
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,484 per month in Marawi vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Marawi $1,484
Manila $2,199

Marawi is about 24% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Marawi and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Marawi 47% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.83 ₱243

$5.34 ₱339

-28.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.52 ₱1,174

$26.46 ₱1,677

-30.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.69 ₱170

$3.93 ₱249

-31.55%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱138

$2.53 ₱160

-13.83%

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

$0.68 ₱42.96

$1.35 ₱85.6

-49.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.31

$0.82 ₱51.8

-63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.14 ₱72.3

12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₱143

$2.38 ₱151

-5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₱100

$1.91 ₱121

-17.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱72.8

$1.44 ₱91.3

-20.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.7

$0.94 ₱59.8

-3.19%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱120

$2.30 ₱146

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.60 ₱355

$7.41 ₱470

-24.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 ₱262

$4.61 ₱292

-10.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 ₱434

$6.65 ₱421

3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ₱152

$3.29 ₱209

-27.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₱96.1

$1.80 ₱114

-15.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱147

$3.00 ₱190

-22.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₱73.0

$1.76 ₱111

-34.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 ₱131

$2.22 ₱141

-6.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$2.66 ₱169

-15.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.0

$2.14 ₱136

-48.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.50

$0.53 ₱33.85

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₱209

$3.06 ₱194

7.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 ₱412

$9.57 ₱606

-32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₱53.6

$1.30 ₱82.6

-34.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₱136

$1.99 ₱126

7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.40 ₱25.62

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.88 ₱753

$12.75 ₱808

-6.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.27

$0.72 ₱45.60

1.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.47

$0.23 ₱14.60

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ₱109

$1.84 ₱117

-6.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₱76.7

$1.27 ₱80.4

-4.72%

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

$20.3K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-2.16%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

1.36%

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

$129 ₱8,151

$120 ₱7,580

7.53%

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

$15.78 ₱1,000

$15.69 ₱995

0.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.96 ₱1,519

$23.60 ₱1,496

1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.95 ₱1,772

$42.57 ₱2,698

-34.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 ₱323

$5.65 ₱358

-9.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 ₱325

$6.50 ₱412

-21.08%

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

$128 ₱8,115

$599 ₱38.0K

-78.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,981 ₱505.8K

$8,818 ₱558.9K

-9.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.94 ₱2,024

$56.7 ₱3,592

-43.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.14 ₱1,213

$27.40 ₱1,737

-30.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 ₱4,476

$76.4 ₱4,839

-7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 ₱3,452

$55.5 ₱3,518

-1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ₱15.9K

$526 ₱33.4K

-52.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 ₱10.4K

$297 ₱18.8K

-44.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 ₱30.9K

$1,887 ₱119.6K

-74.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ₱21.9K

$816 ₱51.7K

-57.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,810 ₱178.1K

$3,968 ₱251.5K

-29.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,103 ₱69.9K

$2,366 ₱150.0K

-53.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 ₱18.0K

$466 ₱29.5K

-39.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.43

-6.86%

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

Last update for Marawi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Marawi

$176 24.5%

Manila

$216 22.9% 22.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marawi

$168 23.4%

Manila

$159 16.8% 5.6% $9.5

Accommodation & Living

Marawi

$164 22.7%

Manila

$297 31.4% 81.3% $133

Eating Out

Marawi

$80 11.1%

Manila

$104 11% 30.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Marawi

$79 11%

Manila

$97 10.3% 22.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Marawi

$38 5.3%

Manila

$56 5.9% 45.4% $17

Getting Around

Marawi

$15 2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 10.3% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Marawi versus $526 in Manila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 64% higher in Manila. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Marawi versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $216 – making Marawi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Marawi

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

Same time as Marawi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,010

1,780,148 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Marawi Manila 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Marawi
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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

Marawi vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $720 in Marawi, $945 in Manila – Marawi comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,080 per month in Marawi and $1,418 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marawi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $252 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $720 in Marawi and $945 in Manila. That makes Marawi about 24% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Marawi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $720 in Marawi and $945 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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