Cost of Living Comparison Between Paranaque City and Contagem Cost of Living Comparison Between Paranaque City and Contagem

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $917 per month in Paranaque City vs $671 in Contagem, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,397 per month in Paranaque City vs $1,088 in Contagem, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,877 per month in Paranaque City vs $1,504 in Contagem, rent included.

Paranaque City costs about 37% more than Contagem, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Paranaque City and Contagem are more affordable than the global median – Paranaque City 31% lower, Contagem 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 ₱294

$4.60 R$23.49

3.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.97 ₱1,291

$17.71 R$90.5

18.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.63 ₱162

$5.79 R$29.57

-54.58%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₱119

$1.24 R$6.33

55.65%

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

$0.78 ₱48.21

$0.86 R$4.37

-9.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₱22.81

$0.43 R$2.19

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱74.9

$1.18 R$6.04

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₱168

$2.21 R$11.30

23.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ₱113

$0.88 R$4.48

107.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ₱77.9

$1.47 R$7.49

-13.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ₱68.2

$1.54 R$7.89

-27.92%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱121

$1.55 R$7.93

26.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.23 ₱322

$7.92 R$40.46

-33.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 ₱254

$3.18 R$16.25

29.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 ₱436

$5.24 R$26.75

35.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 ₱273

$1.84 R$9.39

141.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱97.4

$1.28 R$6.57

23.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱178

$0.92 R$4.71

215.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 ₱104

$1.32 R$6.73

28.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ₱107

$1.03 R$5.24

68.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 ₱128

$0.81 R$4.16

158.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₱63.7

$0.69 R$3.54

50.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₱27.60

$0.64 R$3.26

-29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 ₱150

$2.22 R$11.35

9.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 ₱463

$5.89 R$30.09

27.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₱62.0

$1.04 R$5.31

-2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱120

$2.14 R$10.92

-8.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.29

$1.37 R$7.01

-85.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.56 ₱650

$73.8 R$377

-85.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱50.6

$0.92 R$4.69

-10.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.86

$1.03 R$5.28

-76.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ₱130

$8.07 R$41.23

-73.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱67.4

$1.05 R$5.39

3.81%

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

$27.0K ₱1.7M

$24.9K R$127.5K

8.28%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$28.8K R$147.4K

-28.25%

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

$152 ₱9,375

$64.0 R$327

137.83%

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

$14.00 ₱862

$14.36 R$73.4

-2.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 ₱1,808

$16.12 R$82.4

82.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 ₱2,072

$24.21 R$124

39.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 ₱441

$21.20 R$108

-66.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ₱443

$6.31 R$32.24

14.10%

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

$80.4 ₱4,948

$137 R$701

-41.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,824 ₱173.8K

$6,743 R$34.5K

-58.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.45 ₱1,998

$52.2 R$267

-37.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.67 ₱965

$36.62 R$187

-57.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₱4,040

$72.0 R$368

-8.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 ₱5,701

$65.8 R$336

40.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 ₱20.6K

$204 R$1,040

64.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₱17.5K

$120 R$612

137.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 ₱53.0K

$439 R$2,243

96.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₱36.4K

$265 R$1,356

122.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,143 ₱70.4K

$1,976 R$10.1K

-42.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$425 ₱26.2K

$964 R$4,925

-55.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ₱30.8K

$250 R$1,279

100.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.25

10.83

-33.06%

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

Last update for Paranaque City: July 12, 2026

Last update for Contagem: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $335 in Paranaque City versus $204 in Contagem. 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 100% higher in Paranaque City, 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 $21.00 in Paranaque City versus $18.00 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $155 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Paranaque City vs Contagem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Paranaque City is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,376 per month in Paranaque City and $1,006 in Contagem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 599% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $80.4 per month in Paranaque City and $137 in Contagem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $917 in Paranaque City and $671 in Contagem, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Contagem. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Paranaque City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.