Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pampanga and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Pampanga: $682 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Pampanga
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Pampanga Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Pampanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$682

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $682 per month in Pampanga vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Pampanga $682
Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,024 per month in Pampanga vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Pampanga $1,024
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,366 per month in Pampanga vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Pampanga $1,366
Manila $2,199

Pampanga is about 28% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pampanga and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Pampanga 50% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 ₱173

$5.34 ₱341

-49.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.81 ₱1,010

$26.46 ₱1,691

-40.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.12 ₱199

$3.93 ₱251

-20.61%

Cappuccino

$2.20 ₱140

$2.53 ₱162

-13.04%

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

$0.69 ₱44.24

$1.35 ₱86.2

-48.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.12

$0.82 ₱52.2

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ₱76.2

$1.14 ₱72.8

4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ₱133

$2.38 ₱152

-12.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ₱94.0

$1.91 ₱122

-23.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$1.44 ₱92.1

-24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₱53.2

$0.94 ₱60.3

-11.70%

Eggs

$1.46 ₱93.5

$2.30 ₱147

-36.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.98 ₱255

$7.41 ₱473

-46.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.77 ₱177

$4.61 ₱295

-39.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.27 ₱401

$6.65 ₱425

-5.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₱122

$3.29 ₱211

-41.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ₱62.6

$1.80 ₱115

-45.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ₱133

$3.00 ₱192

-30.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.7

$1.76 ₱112

-42.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ₱89.2

$2.22 ₱142

-36.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.5

$2.66 ₱170

-43.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₱54.3

$2.14 ₱137

-60.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱37.08

$0.53 ₱34.12

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 ₱119

$3.06 ₱196

-39.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.74 ₱367

$9.57 ₱611

-40.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₱43.79

$1.30 ₱83.3

-46.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱80.6

$1.99 ₱127

-36.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.03

$0.40 ₱25.83

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 ₱776

$12.75 ₱815

-4.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.61

$0.72 ₱45.97

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.45

$0.23 ₱14.72

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 ₱113

$1.84 ₱117

-3.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ₱63.6

$1.27 ₱81.0

-21.26%

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

$18.1K ₱1.2M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-12.50%

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

$16.9K ₱1.1M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

-9.52%

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

$131 ₱8,348

$120 ₱7,641

9.26%

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

$15.34 ₱980

$15.69 ₱1,003

-2.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.94 ₱1,785

$23.60 ₱1,508

18.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.00 ₱1,853

$42.57 ₱2,720

-31.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.54 ₱354

$5.65 ₱361

-1.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.70 ₱364

$6.50 ₱415

-12.31%

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

$129 ₱8,213

$599 ₱38.3K

-78.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,728 ₱493.7K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

-12.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.95 ₱1,658

$56.7 ₱3,621

-54.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.82 ₱1,202

$27.40 ₱1,751

-31.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₱4,442

$76.4 ₱4,878

-8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.81 ₱2,352

$55.5 ₱3,546

-33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 ₱15.8K

$526 ₱33.6K

-53.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$297 ₱19.0K

-42.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 ₱31.1K

$1,887 ₱120.5K

-74.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ₱22.7K

$816 ₱52.1K

-56.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,606 ₱166.5K

$3,968 ₱253.5K

-34.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,105 ₱70.6K

$2,366 ₱151.2K

-53.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$290 ₱18.5K

$466 ₱29.8K

-37.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.43

-6.86%

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

Last update for Pampanga: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pampanga

$174 25.5%

Manila

$159 16.8% 8.7% $15

Accommodation & Living

Pampanga

$170 24.9%

Manila

$297 31.4% 74.8% $127

Groceries & Markets

Pampanga

$143 21%

Manila

$216 22.9% 51.1% $73

Eating Out

Pampanga

$72 10.5%

Manila

$104 11% 45.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Pampanga

$68 10%

Manila

$97 10.3% 42.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Pampanga

$40 5.9%

Manila

$56 5.9% 37.6% $15

Getting Around

Pampanga

$15 2.2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 9.5% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $247 in Pampanga 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 run about 61% higher in Manila. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Pampanga versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $143 vs $216 – making Pampanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Pampanga

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Pampanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,616

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

On the map

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Between locations

Pampanga Manila 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pampanga
Manila

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

Pampanga vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $682 in Pampanga, $945 in Manila – Pampanga comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,023 per month in Pampanga 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 Pampanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $247 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $682 in Pampanga and $945 in Manila. That makes Pampanga about 28% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Pampanga. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Pampanga, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Manila at $945. In Pampanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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