Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paranaque City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Paranaque City: $779 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Paranaque City
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Paranaque City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Paranaque City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$779

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $779 per month in Paranaque City vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Paranaque City $779
Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,171 per month in Paranaque City vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Paranaque City $1,171
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,562 per month in Paranaque City vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Paranaque City $1,562
Manila $2,199

Paranaque City is about 18% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Paranaque City and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Paranaque City 43% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.28 ₱272

$5.34 ₱340

-19.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.28 ₱1,037

$26.46 ₱1,685

-38.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.80 ₱178

$3.93 ₱251

-28.75%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ₱129

$2.53 ₱161

-20.16%

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

$0.68 ₱43.15

$1.35 ₱86.0

-49.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.69

$0.82 ₱52.1

-62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₱67.4

$1.14 ₱72.6

-7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₱177

$2.38 ₱152

16.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱106

$1.91 ₱121

-12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱70.4

$1.44 ₱91.8

-23.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱61.1

$0.94 ₱60.1

2.13%

Eggs

$2.07 ₱132

$2.30 ₱147

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 ₱325

$7.41 ₱472

-31.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 ₱255

$4.61 ₱294

-13.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 ₱486

$6.65 ₱423

14.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 ₱253

$3.29 ₱210

20.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₱99.7

$1.80 ₱114

-12.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 ₱218

$3.00 ₱191

14.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ₱70.5

$1.76 ₱112

-36.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 ₱106

$2.22 ₱141

-25.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ₱114

$2.66 ₱169

-32.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱57.1

$2.14 ₱136

-57.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.00

$0.53 ₱34.01

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱179

$3.06 ₱195

-7.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.38 ₱470

$9.57 ₱609

-22.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.9

$1.30 ₱83.0

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.99 ₱127

3.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.75

$0.40 ₱25.75

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.92 ₱696

$12.75 ₱812

-14.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.83

$0.72 ₱45.82

6.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.84 ₱117

3.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.4

$1.27 ₱80.8

-3.94%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-0.54%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.55%

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

$138 ₱8,802

$120 ₱7,617

15.56%

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

$14.32 ₱912

$15.69 ₱999

-8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.17 ₱1,539

$23.60 ₱1,503

2.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.84 ₱2,283

$42.57 ₱2,711

-15.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 ₱341

$5.65 ₱360

-5.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ₱427

$6.50 ₱414

3.08%

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

$71.7 ₱4,564

$599 ₱38.1K

-88.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,272 ₱399.4K

$8,818 ₱561.6K

-28.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.85 ₱2,283

$56.7 ₱3,609

-36.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.79 ₱1,197

$27.40 ₱1,745

-31.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₱4,424

$76.4 ₱4,863

-9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ₱4,780

$55.5 ₱3,535

35.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 ₱13.7K

$526 ₱33.5K

-59.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ₱11.5K

$297 ₱18.9K

-39.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 ₱34.8K

$1,887 ₱120.2K

-71.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$816 ₱52.0K

-57.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,105 ₱70.4K

$3,968 ₱252.7K

-72.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$414 ₱26.4K

$2,366 ₱150.7K

-82.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 ₱31.0K

$466 ₱29.7K

4.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

-5.79%

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

Last update for Paranaque City: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Paranaque City

$188 24.2%

Manila

$216 22.9% 14.9% $28

Accommodation & Living

Paranaque City

$180 23.1%

Manila

$297 31.4% 64.9% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paranaque City

$177 22.7%

Manila

$159 16.8% 10.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Paranaque City

$90 11.5%

Manila

$97 10.3% 8.4% $7.5

Eating Out

Paranaque City

$82 10.5%

Manila

$104 11% 27.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Paranaque City

$49 6.3%

Manila

$56 5.9% 12.8% $6.3

Getting Around

Paranaque City

$14 1.8%

Manila

$16 1.7% 18.5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Paranaque City 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 4% higher in Paranaque City, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Paranaque City versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $216 – making Paranaque City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Paranaque City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

Same time as Paranaque City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

703,245

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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Paranaque City Manila 16 km

From you

Paranaque City
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $779 in Paranaque City, $945 in Manila – Paranaque City comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,169 per month in Paranaque City 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 Paranaque City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $215 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $779 in Paranaque City and $945 in Manila. That makes Paranaque City about 18% cheaper.

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

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $779 in Paranaque City and $945 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Paranaque City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 18% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.