Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nueva Ecija and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Nueva Ecija: $517 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Nueva Ecija
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Nueva Ecija Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Philippines

$517

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Nueva Ecija vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Nueva Ecija $517
Manila $945

A couple spends around $912 per month in Nueva Ecija vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Nueva Ecija $912
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,307 per month in Nueva Ecija vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Nueva Ecija $1,307
Manila $2,199

Nueva Ecija is about 45% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nueva Ecija and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Nueva Ecija 62% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 ₱246

$5.34 ₱341

-27.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.14 ₱1,031

$26.46 ₱1,691

-39.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱174

$3.93 ₱251

-30.79%

Cappuccino

$1.43 ₱91.4

$2.53 ₱162

-43.48%

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

$0.55 ₱35.33

$1.35 ₱86.2

-59.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.45

$0.82 ₱52.2

-63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱60.2

$1.14 ₱72.8

-17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱98.9

$2.38 ₱152

-34.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱102

$1.91 ₱122

-16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₱60.0

$1.44 ₱92.1

-34.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱59.0

$0.94 ₱60.3

-2.13%

Eggs

$1.57 ₱100

$2.30 ₱147

-31.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 ₱313

$7.41 ₱473

-34.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$4.61 ₱295

-28.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.70 ₱364

$6.65 ₱425

-14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ₱139

$3.29 ₱211

-33.74%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₱44.00

$1.80 ₱115

-61.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$3.00 ₱192

-43.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₱67.2

$1.76 ₱112

-40.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.22 ₱142

-22.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ₱113

$2.66 ₱170

-33.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₱40.93

$2.14 ₱137

-70.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₱26.51

$0.53 ₱34.12

-22.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₱144

$3.06 ₱196

-26.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.23 ₱270

$9.57 ₱611

-55.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱57.5

$1.30 ₱83.3

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₱126

$1.99 ₱127

-1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱18.06

$0.40 ₱25.83

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.35 ₱342

$12.75 ₱815

-58.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.80

$0.72 ₱45.97

1.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ₱8.77

$0.23 ₱14.72

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$1.84 ₱117

-44.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₱54.5

$1.27 ₱81.0

-33.07%

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

$15.8K ₱1.0M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-23.76%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

1.62%

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

$78.6 ₱5,019

$120 ₱7,641

-34.31%

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

$17.26 ₱1,103

$15.69 ₱1,003

10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.13 ₱1,158

$23.60 ₱1,508

-23.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.13 ₱1,989

$42.57 ₱2,720

-26.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.65 ₱297

$5.65 ₱361

-17.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.32 ₱276

$6.50 ₱415

-33.54%

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

$133 ₱8,488

$599 ₱38.3K

-77.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ₱694.7K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

23.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.55 ₱1,824

$56.7 ₱3,621

-49.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.54 ₱1,248

$27.40 ₱1,751

-28.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ₱4,501

$76.4 ₱4,878

-7.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.9 ₱3,443

$55.5 ₱3,546

-2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$113 ₱7,241

$526 ₱33.6K

-78.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.9 ₱4,272

$297 ₱19.0K

-77.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.1K

$1,887 ₱120.5K

-90.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱22.2K

$816 ₱52.1K

-57.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,619 ₱167.4K

$3,968 ₱253.5K

-33.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,200 ₱76.7K

$2,366 ₱151.2K

-49.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 ₱11.8K

$466 ₱29.8K

-60.52%

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 Nueva Ecija: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nueva Ecija

$144 27.8%

Manila

$216 22.9% 50.5% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nueva Ecija

$114 22%

Manila

$159 16.8% 39.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Nueva Ecija

$78 15%

Manila

$97 10.3% 25.2% $20

Eating Out

Nueva Ecija

$67 13%

Manila

$104 11% 54.5% $37

Accommodation & Living

Nueva Ecija

$67 12.9%

Manila

$297 31.4% 344% $230

Sport & Entertainment

Nueva Ecija

$40 7.7%

Manila

$56 5.9% 39.7% $16

Getting Around

Nueva Ecija

$7.9 1.5%

Manila

$16 1.7% 106% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $113 in Nueva Ecija 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 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 $16 in Nueva Ecija versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $216 – making Nueva Ecija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

Same time as Nueva Ecija

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,610

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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Monthly costs with rent: $517 in Nueva Ecija, $945 in Manila – Nueva Ecija comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $776 per month in Nueva Ecija 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 Nueva Ecija, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $113 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $517 in Nueva Ecija and $945 in Manila. That makes Nueva Ecija about 45% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Nueva Ecija. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Nueva Ecija, where all-in costs run around $517, than in Manila at $945. In Nueva Ecija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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