Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nueva Ecija and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Nueva Ecija: $529 a month against $859 in Alexandria, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Nueva Ecija
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Nueva Ecija Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
Learn more

Alexandria Living Index

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Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Philippines

$529

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇷🇴 Romania

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nueva Ecija and in Alexandria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $529 in Nueva Ecija versus $859 in Alexandria.

Nueva Ecija $529
Alexandria $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $935 in Nueva Ecija versus $1,320 in Alexandria.

Nueva Ecija $935
Alexandria $1,320

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,340 in Nueva Ecija versus $1,781 in Alexandria.

Nueva Ecija $1,340
Alexandria $1,781

Living in Nueva Ecija costs roughly 38% less than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nueva Ecija 61% lower, Alexandria 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 ₱246

$8.30 RON 39.26

-53.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.99 ₱1,070

$30.10 RON 142

-43.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.74 ₱173

$7.24 RON 34.24

-62.15%

Cappuccino

$1.42 ₱89.2

$1.62 RON 7.68

-12.35%

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

$0.56 ₱35.40

$1.76 RON 8.34

-68.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.18

$1.49 RON 7.03

-79.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₱61.2

$2.11 RON 9.99

-54.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₱98.5

$2.46 RON 11.66

-36.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱105

$1.39 RON 6.56

20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₱60.5

$0.80 RON 3.78

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.0

$1.10 RON 5.21

-19.09%

Eggs

$1.54 ₱96.7

$2.16 RON 10.23

-28.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.22 ₱329

$4.98 RON 23.57

4.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$4.30 RON 20.35

-23.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.65 ₱356

$7.67 RON 36.31

-26.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₱139

$0.88 RON 4.16

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 ₱46.06

$1.18 RON 5.57

-38.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

$0.98 RON 4.61

79.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.8

$0.98 RON 4.62

10.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 ₱105

$0.70 RON 3.33

137.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱109

$0.61 RON 2.87

181.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱38.73

$0.72 RON 3.40

-13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₱26.97

$0.86 RON 4.06

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 ₱142

$5.43 RON 25.69

-58.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.36 ₱275

$5.15 RON 24.38

-15.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.3

$0.92 RON 4.34

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.08 RON 5.10

85.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱16.99

$0.60 RON 2.86

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.51 ₱347

$42.28 RON 200

-86.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₱44.14

$0.44 RON 2.07

59.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ₱9.01

$0.40 RON 1.91

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 ₱63.9

$5.49 RON 25.97

-81.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$1.72 RON 8.14

-46.51%

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

$16.1K ₱1.0M

$16.1K RON 76.2K

-0.28%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$23.1K RON 109.4K

-17.14%

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

$78.7 ₱4,954

$115 RON 545

-31.69%

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

$17.23 ₱1,085

$5.18 RON 24.53

232.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.30 ₱1,152

$7.60 RON 35.96

140.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.48 ₱2,297

$58.6 RON 277

-37.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.38 ₱276

$24.59 RON 116

-82.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 ₱282

$6.36 RON 30.10

-29.56%

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

$134 ₱8,440

$308 RON 1,459

-56.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱669.6K

$6,663 RON 31.5K

59.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.15 ₱1,835

$51.7 RON 245

-43.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.55 ₱1,231

$22.37 RON 106

-12.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 ₱4,442

$63.2 RON 299

11.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 ₱3,445

$64.0 RON 303

-14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 ₱7,197

$319 RON 1,511

-64.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.6 ₱4,321

$238 RON 1,127

-71.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$577 RON 2,731

-70.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.5K

$419 RON 1,981

-14.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,452 ₱154.4K

$1,235 RON 5,842

98.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$883 ₱55.6K

$778 RON 3,679

13.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$189 ₱11.9K

$844 RON 3,995

-77.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.73

0.30%

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

Last update for Nueva Ecija: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nueva Ecija

$147 27.7%

Alexandria

$148 17.2% 1.1% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nueva Ecija

$114 21.6%

Alexandria

$128 14.9% 12% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Nueva Ecija

$78 14.8%

Alexandria

$91 10.5% 15.7% $12

Accommodation & Living

Nueva Ecija

$69 13%

Alexandria

$238 27.7% 247% $170

Eating Out

Nueva Ecija

$68 12.8%

Alexandria

$136 15.8% 100% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Nueva Ecija

$45 8.6%

Alexandria

$71 8.3% 56.9% $26

Getting Around

Nueva Ecija

$8 1.5%

Alexandria

$47 5.5% 489% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $114 in Nueva Ecija and $319 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 347% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Nueva Ecija vs $30.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $147 vs $148 per month, with Nueva Ecija cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Nueva Ecija

🇷🇴 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

21:32 9:32 PM

5 h behind Nueva Ecija

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,610

45,434

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nueva Ecija Alexandria 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nueva Ecija
Alexandria

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

Nueva Ecija vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nueva Ecija wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Alexandria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nueva Ecija the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 347% lower in Alexandria. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $114 in Nueva Ecija versus $319 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $529 per month in Nueva Ecija versus $859 in Alexandria – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nueva Ecija runs roughly 667% less than in Alexandria. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Nueva Ecija gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Nueva Ecija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Alexandria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.