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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $917 per month in Paranaque City vs $722 in Serra, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,397 per month in Paranaque City vs $1,102 in Serra, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,877 per month in Paranaque City vs $1,482 in Serra, rent included.

Paranaque City costs about 27% more than Serra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Paranaque City and Serra are more affordable than the global median – Paranaque City 31% lower, Serra 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 ₱294

$4.33 R$22.12

10.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.97 ₱1,291

$20.63 R$105

1.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.63 ₱162

$6.27 R$32.04

-58.05%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₱119

$1.69 R$8.64

14.20%

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

$0.78 ₱48.21

$0.71 R$3.60

9.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₱22.81

$0.52 R$2.65

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱74.9

$0.84 R$4.31

45.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₱168

$3.33 R$17.00

-18.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ₱113

$0.87 R$4.45

110.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ₱77.9

$1.51 R$7.73

-15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ₱68.2

$1.00 R$5.11

11.00%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱121

$1.61 R$8.25

21.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.23 ₱322

$7.37 R$37.65

-29.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 ₱254

$3.59 R$18.37

15.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 ₱436

$6.41 R$32.76

10.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 ₱273

$2.12 R$10.84

109.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱97.4

$1.38 R$7.08

14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱178

$1.19 R$6.06

143.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 ₱104

$1.48 R$7.54

14.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ₱107

$1.10 R$5.60

58.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 ₱128

$1.18 R$6.05

77.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₱63.7

$0.59 R$3.01

76.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₱27.60

$0.53 R$2.70

-15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 ₱150

$2.18 R$11.16

11.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 ₱463

$5.36 R$27.42

40.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₱62.0

$0.91 R$4.65

10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱120

$1.27 R$6.49

53.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.29

$0.87 R$4.44

-77.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.56 ₱650

$42.41 R$217

-75.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱50.6

$1.09 R$5.57

-24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.86

$0.97 R$4.95

-75.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ₱130

$3.86 R$19.74

-45.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱67.4

$1.02 R$5.23

6.86%

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

$27.0K ₱1.7M

$21.0K R$107.3K

28.63%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$30.2K R$154.6K

-31.59%

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

$152 ₱9,375

$103 R$527

47.77%

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

$14.00 ₱862

$11.77 R$60.2

18.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 ₱1,808

$17.72 R$90.6

65.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 ₱2,072

$35.96 R$184

-6.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 ₱441

$27.51 R$141

-73.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ₱443

$4.57 R$23.33

57.55%

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

$80.4 ₱4,948

$168 R$858

-52.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,824 ₱173.9K

$6,397 R$32.7K

-55.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.45 ₱1,998

$36.07 R$184

-10.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.67 ₱965

$53.0 R$271

-70.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₱4,040

$82.7 R$423

-20.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 ₱5,701

$68.5 R$350

35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 ₱20.6K

$221 R$1,131

51.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ₱17.5K

$136 R$695

109.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 ₱53.0K

$389 R$1,989

121.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₱36.4K

$200 R$1,024

194.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,143 ₱70.4K

$940 R$4,806

21.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$425 ₱26.2K

$554 R$2,831

-23.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ₱30.8K

$531 R$2,715

-5.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.25

10.38

-30.15%

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

Last update for Paranaque City: July 12, 2026

Last update for Serra: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $335 in Paranaque City versus $221 in Serra. 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 6% higher in Serra, 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 $21.00 in Paranaque City versus $21.00 in Serra. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Paranaque City vs $157 in Serra – so Serra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Serra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $917 in Paranaque City, $722 in Serra – roughly 27% apart. Paranaque City costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,376 per month in Paranaque City and $1,083 in Serra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 25% more in Paranaque City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Paranaque City and $21.00 in Serra. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $917 in Paranaque City and $722 in Serra, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Serra – 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 Serra. 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.