Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pagadian and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Pagadian: $731 a month against $943 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $731 per month in Pagadian vs $943 in Manila, rent included.

Pagadian $731
Manila $943

A couple spends around $1,112 per month in Pagadian vs $1,505 in Manila, rent included.

Pagadian $1,112
Manila $1,505

A family of three spends $1,494 per month in Pagadian vs $2,067 in Manila, rent included.

Pagadian $1,494
Manila $2,067

Pagadian is about 23% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pagadian and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Pagadian 46% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱250

$5.54 ₱349

-28.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.95 ₱1,067

$27.42 ₱1,726

-38.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.75 ₱173

$3.96 ₱249

-30.56%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ₱120

$2.47 ₱156

-22.67%

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

$0.80 ₱50.6

$1.38 ₱86.9

-42.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$0.83 ₱52.2

-69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ₱92.2

$1.17 ₱73.7

24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$2.34 ₱147

-14.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱106

$1.88 ₱118

-10.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.1

$1.43 ₱89.8

-18.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.8

$0.97 ₱61.4

-1.03%

Eggs

$1.87 ₱118

$2.29 ₱144

-18.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.47 ₱344

$7.53 ₱474

-27.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.27 ₱269

$4.75 ₱299

-10.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$6.77 ₱427

7.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

$3.35 ₱211

-29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$1.84 ₱116

-16.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱151

$3.02 ₱190

-20.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$1.83 ₱115

-38.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ₱127

$2.23 ₱140

-9.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱121

$2.59 ₱163

-25.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$2.10 ₱132

-56.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱34.43

$0.59 ₱37.23

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 ₱181

$3.12 ₱197

-8.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ₱471

$9.49 ₱598

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$1.31 ₱82.7

-22.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.01 ₱127

-3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.37

$0.46 ₱29.22

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.25 ₱708

$12.78 ₱805

-11.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.85

$0.77 ₱48.39

1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.17

$0.23 ₱14.50

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱118

$1.85 ₱117

1.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.29 ₱81.0

-20.16%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-1.44%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.46%

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

$125 ₱7,875

$125 ₱7,851

0.31%

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

$15.14 ₱953

$15.84 ₱997

-4.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.15 ₱1,521

$24.01 ₱1,511

0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.36 ₱2,037

$41.84 ₱2,634

-22.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.70 ₱296

$5.89 ₱371

-20.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱319

$6.62 ₱417

-23.41%

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

$130 ₱8,191

$612 ₱38.6K

-78.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,984 ₱502.7K

$8,736 ₱550.0K

-8.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.64 ₱2,055

$58.1 ₱3,655

-43.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.82 ₱1,248

$27.80 ₱1,750

-28.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 ₱4,556

$76.9 ₱4,840

-5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 ₱3,470

$56.5 ₱3,556

-2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.7K

$538 ₱33.9K

-50.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 ₱10.7K

$285 ₱17.9K

-40.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 ₱32.5K

$1,933 ₱121.7K

-73.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₱22.3K

$662 ₱41.7K

-46.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,381 ₱149.9K

$4,397 ₱276.8K

-45.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$997 ₱62.8K

$2,461 ₱154.9K

-59.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$478 ₱30.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.43

-8.61%

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

Last update for Pagadian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pagadian

$180 24.6%

Manila

$219 23.2% 21.7% $39

Accommodation & Living

Pagadian

$171 23.3%

Manila

$285 30.2% 66.9% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pagadian

$164 22.5%

Manila

$165 17.4% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Pagadian

$81 11.1%

Manila

$99 10.5% 21.8% $18

Eating Out

Pagadian

$78 10.7%

Manila

$105 11.2% 34.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Pagadian

$43 5.8%

Manila

$55 5.8% 29.6% $13

Getting Around

Pagadian

$14 1.9%

Manila

$17 1.8% 17.4% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $266 in Pagadian 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Pagadian versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $219 – making Pagadian the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

Same time as Pagadian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

199,060

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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Between locations

Pagadian Manila 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pagadian
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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

Pagadian vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $731 in Pagadian, $943 in Manila – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,096 per month in Pagadian 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 Pagadian, 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 $731 in Pagadian and $943 in Manila. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Pagadian. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pagadian, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Manila at $943. In Pagadian 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 $731 in Pagadian 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 Pagadian. 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.