Cost of Living Comparison Between Philippines and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Philippines and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $706 in Philippines versus $365 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,079 in Philippines versus $579 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,452 in Philippines versus $792 in India.

Living in Philippines is roughly 93% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Philippines 49% lower, India 73% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Philippines: monthly costs span $378 to $1,228, compared to $231–$827 in India. City choice carries more weight in Philippines.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱245

$2.06 ₹196

90.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.66 ₱1,289

$10.63 ₹1,009

94.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.11 ₱194

$3.70 ₹351

-15.95%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₱142

$1.74 ₹165

30.46%

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

$0.73 ₱45.57

$0.37 ₹35.31

97.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₱22.80

$0.17 ₹16.34

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₱80.7

$1.93 ₹183

-33.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$3.06 ₹290

-35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱107

$0.62 ₹58.9

175.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ₱73.3

$0.49 ₹46.68

138.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱58.9

$0.63 ₹60.1

49.21%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱122

$0.94 ₹88.9

107.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 ₱443

$4.67 ₹443

52.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₱265

$2.88 ₹274

47.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.07 ₱441

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ₱181

$1.91 ₹181

51.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 ₱84.8

$0.64 ₹60.9

112.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 ₱161

$0.98 ₹93.3

162.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱95.6

$0.51 ₹48.13

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱138

$0.34 ₹32.07

550.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱161

$0.42 ₹39.87

516.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ₱86.1

$0.48 ₹45.67

187.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.57

$0.29 ₹27.41

134.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱175

$4.91 ₹466

-42.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 ₱397

$7.27 ₹690

-12.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱70.8

$1.65 ₹157

-31.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱111

$2.66 ₹253

-33.08%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.22 ₹495

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱16.98

$0.27 ₹25.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.61 ₱787

$8.45 ₹802

49.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.2

$0.96 ₹91.3

-14.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.27 ₹25.87

-14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.60 ₹152

21.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱66.0

$1.12 ₹106

-5.36%

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

$21.5K ₱1.3M

$12.7K ₹1.2M

69.22%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

$20.4K ₹1.9M

-4.57%

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

$104 ₱6,482

$37.48 ₹3,558

177.16%

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

$13.90 ₱867

$3.50 ₹332

297.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.81 ₱1,735

$7.16 ₹679

288.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.10 ₱1,941

$14.79 ₹1,405

110.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.68 ₱354

$7.08 ₹672

-19.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ₱360

$3.06 ₹290

88.89%

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

$143 ₱8,908

$57.0 ₹5,408

150.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,725 ₱357.3K

$1,679 ₹159.4K

241.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.34 ₱2,767

$22.56 ₹2,142

96.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.75 ₱1,545

$24.04 ₹2,282

2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 ₱4,187

$40.60 ₹3,855

65.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 ₱3,743

$30.39 ₹2,885

97.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 ₱20.1K

$145 ₹13.8K

121.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ₱11.5K

$91.4 ₹8,673

101.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 ₱41.4K

$335 ₹31.8K

98.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.3K

$209 ₹19.9K

71.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,154 ₱196.8K

$1,233 ₹117.1K

155.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,470 ₱91.7K

$626 ₹59.4K

134.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$324 ₱20.2K

$443 ₹42.1K

-26.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.17

8.94

-19.80%

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

Last update for Philippines: August 31, 2026

Last update for India: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $252 in Philippines, $120 in India. Capital cities: $537 in Manila vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $295 in Philippines, $408 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 110% higher in Philippines.

Dining out costs 80% more in Philippines.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in Philippines.

Salaries are 38% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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

Philippines vs India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $529 per month in India and $803 in Philippines, there's a 52% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Philippines is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Philippines it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; Philippines may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.