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: $759 in Philippines versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,184 in Philippines versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in Philippines versus $846 in India.

Living in Philippines is roughly 96% more expensive than India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Philippines 43% lower, India 71% lower.

Philippines ($487–$1,232) and India ($264–$888) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 ₱243

$2.49 ₹237

58.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.33 ₱1,316

$14.20 ₹1,353

50.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.57 ₱220

$3.98 ₹379

-10.30%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ₱142

$1.88 ₹179

22.34%

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

$0.71 ₱43.96

$0.44 ₹41.98

61.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₱25.28

$0.19 ₹18.57

115.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 ₱83.1

$2.02 ₹192

-33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₱128

$3.45 ₹329

-40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱115

$0.72 ₹68.3

159.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ₱80.8

$0.52 ₹49.26

151.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱57.6

$0.72 ₹68.7

29.17%

Eggs

$2.12 ₱131

$0.93 ₹88.8

127.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 ₱483

$5.24 ₹499

49.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 ₱268

$3.07 ₹292

41.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 ₱469

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₱182

$2.17 ₹207

36.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱92.2

$0.76 ₹72.2

97.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 ₱168

$1.05 ₹100

160.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ₱97.2

$0.53 ₹50.7

198.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 ₱136

$0.39 ₹37.53

464.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ₱161

$0.49 ₹46.81

434.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ₱85.7

$0.52 ₹49.35

167.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱46.31

$0.33 ₹31.13

127.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₱186

$4.05 ₹386

-25.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 ₱400

$7.39 ₹704

-12.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₱70.0

$1.84 ₹175

-38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱115

$2.90 ₹277

-35.52%

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

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.03

$0.36 ₹34.59

-27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.84 ₱668

$9.74 ₹928

11.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱51.2

$0.95 ₹90.6

-12.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₱16.81

$0.30 ₹28.64

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 ₱162

$1.73 ₹165

51.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱72.5

$1.23 ₹117

-4.07%

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

$22.9K ₱1.4M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

65.46%

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

$21.7K ₱1.3M

$22.6K ₹2.2M

-3.92%

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

$109 ₱6,727

$40.88 ₹3,894

166.85%

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

$28.52 ₱1,758

$3.91 ₹372

629.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 ₱1,839

$7.81 ₹744

281.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.26 ₱2,051

$16.15 ₹1,538

105.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 ₱348

$7.49 ₹713

-24.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.16 ₱380

$3.42 ₹326

80.12%

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

$106 ₱6,526

$69.9 ₹6,660

51.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,378 ₱270.0K

$1,793 ₹170.8K

144.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 ₱2,776

$25.83 ₹2,460

74.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.91 ₱1,536

$26.61 ₹2,535

-6.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ₱4,473

$45.24 ₹4,309

60.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.0 ₱3,883

$33.68 ₹3,208

86.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 ₱19.4K

$178 ₹17.0K

76.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ₱10.9K

$115 ₹10.9K

53.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₱39.9K

$407 ₹38.8K

59.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₱22.3K

$264 ₹25.1K

37.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,004 ₱185.2K

$1,240 ₹118.1K

142.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,405 ₱86.7K

$631 ₹60.1K

122.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$329 ₱20.3K

$432 ₹41.2K

-23.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.22

9.02

-19.96%

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

Last update for Philippines: May 31, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $259 in Philippines, $127 in India. Capital cities: $500 in Manila vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $293 in Philippines, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 104% higher in Philippines.

Dining out costs 73% more in Philippines.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 36% higher in India, giving India stronger purchasing power.

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 $576 per month in India and $860 in Philippines, there's a 49% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

India is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.