Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marikina and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $704 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
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Marikina Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$704

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $704 per month in Marikina vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Marikina $704
Manila $948

A couple spends around $1,094 per month in Marikina vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Marikina $1,094
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,484 per month in Marikina vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Marikina $1,484
Manila $2,068

Marikina is about 26% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Marikina and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Marikina 48% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 ₱257

$5.46 ₱344

-25.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.37 ₱2,038

$26.93 ₱1,695

20.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.17 ₱199

$3.90 ₱246

-18.72%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₱144

$2.62 ₱165

-12.60%

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

$0.55 ₱34.81

$1.36 ₱85.5

-59.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.92

$0.83 ₱52.3

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.7

$1.22 ₱76.9

-17.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.32 ₱146

1.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.96 ₱123

-5.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.42 ₱89.1

-13.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱66.5

$1.04 ₱65.4

1.92%

Eggs

$2.08 ₱131

$2.23 ₱140

-6.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 ₱466

$7.70 ₱485

-4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 ₱264

$4.91 ₱309

-14.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 ₱427

$7.12 ₱448

-4.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ₱155

$3.23 ₱204

-23.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 ₱128

$1.92 ₱121

5.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$2.93 ₱184

-20.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱145

$1.79 ₱113

28.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.32 ₱146

2.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$2.73 ₱172

27.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱69.5

$2.12 ₱133

-48.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱44.21

$0.59 ₱37.25

18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₱184

$3.18 ₱200

-7.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 ₱550

$9.81 ₱618

-11.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₱62.0

$1.34 ₱84.1

-26.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱129

$2.00 ₱126

2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₱31.34

$0.47 ₱29.47

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.04

$0.73 ₱46.07

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.21 ₱13.20

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.87 ₱118

3.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱78.3

$1.28 ₱80.6

-3.13%

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

$21.7K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

1.46%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

0.67%

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

$139 ₱8,744

$124 ₱7,822

11.78%

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

$16.19 ₱1,019

$15.73 ₱990

2.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.10 ₱1,769

$24.40 ₱1,536

15.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.73 ₱2,312

$43.31 ₱2,727

-15.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 ₱448

$6.76 ₱425

5.18%

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

$131 ₱8,250

$630 ₱39.7K

-79.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,456 ₱469.4K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-17.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,774

$58.3 ₱3,668

2.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.37 ₱1,786

$27.34 ₱1,721

3.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ₱4,745

$75.6 ₱4,758

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 ₱3,442

$56.6 ₱3,564

-3.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 ₱11.3K

$536 ₱33.8K

-66.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.2 ₱4,986

$284 ₱17.9K

-72.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.3K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-82.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 ₱9,110

$654 ₱41.2K

-77.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,134 ₱71.4K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-74.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 ₱30.3K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-81.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$387 ₱24.3K

$467 ₱29.4K

-17.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.43

-9.15%

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

Last update for Marikina: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Marikina

$206 29.2%

Manila

$222 23.5% 8.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marikina

$183 26%

Manila

$164 17.3% 10.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Marikina

$98 14%

Manila

$98 10.3% 0.3% $0.3

Eating Out

Marikina

$83 11.8%

Manila

$106 11.2% 28.3% $23

Accommodation & Living

Marikina

$79 11.3%

Manila

$284 29.9% 258% $205

Sport & Entertainment

Marikina

$51 7.2%

Manila

$57 6% 11.5% $5.9

Getting Around

Marikina

$3.9 * 0.6%

Manila

$16 1.7% 318% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $180 in Marikina versus $536 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 21% higher in Manila, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Marikina versus $27.00 in Manila. Groceries tell a different story – $206 in Marikina vs $222 in Manila – so Marikina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Marikina

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

Same time as Marikina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

456,059

1,780,148 Capital

💱 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

On the map

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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

Marikina vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $704 in Marikina, $948 in Manila – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,056 per month in Marikina and $1,422 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marikina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $704 in Marikina and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $131 per month in Marikina and $630 in Manila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Marikina, where all-in costs run around $704, than in Manila at $948. In Marikina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $704 in Marikina to $948 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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