Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negros and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $739 a month against $943 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Negros
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Negros Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in Negros vs $943 in Manila, rent included.

Negros $739
Manila $943

A couple spends around $1,121 per month in Negros vs $1,505 in Manila, rent included.

Negros $1,121
Manila $1,505

A family of three spends $1,503 per month in Negros vs $2,067 in Manila, rent included.

Negros $1,503
Manila $2,067

Negros is about 22% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Negros and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Negros 45% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ₱185

$5.54 ₱349

-46.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.99 ₱755

$27.42 ₱1,726

-56.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱175

$3.96 ₱249

-30.05%

Cappuccino

$1.40 ₱88.2

$2.47 ₱156

-43.32%

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

$0.67 ₱41.96

$1.38 ₱86.9

-51.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱26.27

$0.83 ₱52.2

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$1.17 ₱73.7

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₱123

$2.34 ₱147

-16.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.88 ₱118

2.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$1.43 ₱89.8

-22.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.6

$0.97 ₱61.4

-1.03%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱123

$2.29 ₱144

-14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 ₱619

$7.53 ₱474

30.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 ₱284

$4.75 ₱299

-5.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₱463

$6.77 ₱427

8.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ₱209

$3.35 ₱211

-0.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ₱88.6

$1.84 ₱116

-23.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱152

$3.02 ₱190

-20.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$1.83 ₱115

-16.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$2.23 ₱140

8.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₱119

$2.59 ₱163

-27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱71.7

$2.10 ₱132

-45.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.01

$0.59 ₱37.23

8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$3.12 ₱197

-6.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 ₱385

$9.49 ₱598

-35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

$1.31 ₱82.7

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱110

$2.01 ₱127

-13.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.37

$0.46 ₱29.22

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ₱713

$12.78 ₱805

-11.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.77

$0.77 ₱48.39

2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.23 ₱14.50

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$1.85 ₱117

2.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.9

$1.29 ₱81.0

3.10%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-2.29%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-0.72%

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

$120 ₱7,531

$125 ₱7,851

-4.07%

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

$14.43 ₱908

$15.84 ₱997

-8.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.86 ₱1,754

$24.01 ₱1,511

16.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.58 ₱2,051

$41.84 ₱2,634

-22.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.62 ₱291

$5.89 ₱371

-21.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ₱342

$6.62 ₱417

-17.82%

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

$130 ₱8,211

$612 ₱38.6K

-78.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 ₱509.8K

$8,736 ₱550.0K

-7.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.81 ₱2,066

$58.1 ₱3,655

-43.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.16 ₱1,206

$27.80 ₱1,750

-31.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,843

$76.9 ₱4,840

0.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,638

$56.5 ₱3,556

2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$538 ₱33.9K

-49.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.6K

$285 ₱17.9K

-40.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 ₱32.2K

$1,933 ₱121.7K

-73.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$662 ₱41.7K

-45.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,453 ₱154.4K

$4,397 ₱276.8K

-44.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 ₱62.5K

$2,461 ₱154.9K

-59.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 ₱15.2K

$478 ₱30.1K

-49.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

-5.79%

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

Last update for Negros: October 19, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negros

$204 27.5%

Manila

$219 23.2% 7.4% $15

Accommodation & Living

Negros

$169 22.9%

Manila

$285 30.2% 68.5% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negros

$162 21.9%

Manila

$165 17.4% 1.6% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Negros

$84 11.4%

Manila

$99 10.5% 17.4% $15

Eating Out

Negros

$63 8.5%

Manila

$105 11.2% 67.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Negros

$43 5.9%

Manila

$55 5.8% 26.8% $12

Getting Around

Negros

$14 1.9%

Manila

$17 1.8% 15.8% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Negros versus $538 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 98% 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 $12.00 in Negros versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $219 – making Negros the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Negros

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

15:25 3:25 PM

Same time as Negros

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,414,131

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

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Negros Manila 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Negros
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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

Negros vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $739 in Negros, $943 in Manila – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,109 per month in Negros and $1,415 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Negros, 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 $739 in Negros and $943 in Manila. That's a gap of about 28%.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Negros. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Negros, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Manila at $943. In Negros 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 $739 in Negros to $943 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 Negros. 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.