Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasay and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasay: $898 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Manila despite lower rent and utilities.

43

Cost of Living Index in Pasay
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Pasay Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Pasay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$898

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $898 per month in Pasay vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Pasay $898
Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,224 per month in Pasay vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Pasay $1,224
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,551 per month in Pasay vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Pasay $1,551
Manila $2,199

Pasay is about 5% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pasay and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Pasay 34% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ₱280

$5.34 ₱341

-17.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.79 ₱1,197

$26.46 ₱1,686

-28.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.79 ₱178

$3.93 ₱251

-29.01%

Cappuccino

$2.12 ₱135

$2.53 ₱161

-16.21%

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

$0.59 ₱37.36

$1.35 ₱86.0

-56.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.24

$0.82 ₱52.1

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ₱73.5

$1.14 ₱72.6

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.0

$2.38 ₱152

-35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ₱104

$1.91 ₱121

-14.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱74.1

$1.44 ₱91.8

-19.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$0.94 ₱60.1

8.51%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱117

$2.30 ₱147

-20.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.97 ₱316

$7.41 ₱472

-32.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 ₱270

$4.61 ₱294

-8.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.83 ₱435

$6.65 ₱424

2.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$3.29 ₱210

-33.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱99.5

$1.80 ₱114

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$3.00 ₱191

-22.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ₱70.6

$1.76 ₱112

-36.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 ₱148

$2.22 ₱141

4.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 ₱208

$2.66 ₱169

22.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₱78.2

$2.14 ₱136

-42.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₱54.2

$0.53 ₱34.03

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₱188

$3.06 ₱195

-3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ₱482

$9.57 ₱610

-21.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₱56.1

$1.30 ₱83.1

-32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.99 ₱127

-13.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.46

$0.40 ₱25.76

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱51.2

$0.72 ₱45.85

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.23 ₱14.68

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱120

$1.84 ₱117

2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₱78.4

$1.27 ₱80.8

-3.15%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-0.50%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

3.07%

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

$139 ₱8,867

$120 ₱7,620

16.36%

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

$14.40 ₱918

$15.69 ₱1,000

-8.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.03 ₱1,531

$23.60 ₱1,504

1.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.26 ₱3,011

$42.57 ₱2,713

11.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 ₱318

$6.50 ₱414

-23.23%

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

$70.6 ₱4,499

$599 ₱38.2K

-88.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,430 ₱154.9K

$8,818 ₱561.9K

-72.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.90 ₱2,224

$56.7 ₱3,611

-38.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.11 ₱1,218

$27.40 ₱1,746

-30.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 ₱4,475

$76.4 ₱4,865

-8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.5 ₱3,985

$55.5 ₱3,537

12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ₱27.2K

$526 ₱33.5K

-18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₱19.9K

$297 ₱18.9K

5.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 ₱52.7K

$1,887 ₱120.2K

-56.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₱23.3K

$816 ₱52.0K

-55.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,864 ₱118.8K

$3,968 ₱252.9K

-53.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$567 ₱36.1K

$2,366 ₱150.8K

-76.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ₱32.6K

$466 ₱29.7K

9.85%

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 Pasay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasay

$312 34.8%

Manila

$297 31.4% 5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Pasay

$183 20.4%

Manila

$216 22.9% 18.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasay

$178 19.8%

Manila

$159 16.8% 10.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Pasay

$84 9.4%

Manila

$97 10.3% 15.6% $13

Eating Out

Pasay

$81 9.1%

Manila

$104 11% 27.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Pasay

$57 6.4%

Manila

$56 5.9% 2.9% $1.7

Getting Around

Pasay

$2.6 * 0.3%

Manila

$16 1.7% 518% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $427 in Pasay 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 10% higher in Pasay, 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 $19 in Pasay versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $216 – making Pasay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Pasay

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

Same time as Pasay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

416,522

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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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

Pasay vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $898 in Pasay, $945 in Manila – Pasay comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,347 per month in Pasay 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 Pasay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $427 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $898 in Pasay and $945 in Manila. That makes Pasay about 5% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $71 per month in Pasay and $599 in Manila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $898 in Pasay and $945 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pasay – 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.