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: $758 in Philippines versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Philippines versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,612 in Philippines versus $846 in India.

Living in Philippines is roughly 95% more expensive than in India on average.

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

Philippines ($488–$1,188) and India ($265–$913) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 ₱249

$2.53 ₹244

60.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.34 ₱1,314

$13.73 ₹1,322

55.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.58 ₱220

$4.00 ₹385

-10.50%

Cappuccino

$2.39 ₱147

$1.91 ₹184

25.13%

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

$0.72 ₱44.39

$0.43 ₹41.85

67.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱23.96

$0.17 ₹16.11

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ₱80.6

$1.93 ₹186

-32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ₱129

$3.54 ₹341

-40.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ₱110

$0.73 ₹69.9

145.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ₱80.7

$0.52 ₹50.1

151.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱58.9

$0.73 ₹69.9

31.51%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱127

$0.95 ₹91.4

116.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 ₱477

$5.32 ₹512

45.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 ₱276

$3.10 ₹299

44.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 ₱467

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ₱191

$2.16 ₹208

43.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱89.8

$0.70 ₹67.7

108.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 ₱162

$1.05 ₹101

151.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ₱98.4

$0.53 ₹50.8

201.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱137

$0.39 ₹37.66

471.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 ₱163

$0.48 ₹46.64

452.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ₱85.2

$0.52 ₹49.78

165.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱43.38

$0.36 ₹34.33

94.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱185

$4.02 ₹387

-25.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.38 ₱393

$7.28 ₹701

-12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₱73.6

$1.90 ₹183

-36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱115

$3.03 ₹292

-38.61%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.44

$0.36 ₹34.66

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.47 ₱645

$9.84 ₹948

6.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱50.8

$0.95 ₹91.8

-12.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.22

$0.30 ₹29.03

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 ₱165

$1.79 ₹172

49.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱72.7

$1.21 ₹117

-2.48%

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

$22.8K ₱1.4M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

64.37%

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

$21.8K ₱1.3M

$22.4K ₹2.2M

-3.06%

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

$109 ₱6,712

$40.16 ₹3,867

171.44%

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

$28.79 ₱1,772

$3.76 ₹362

665.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.81 ₱1,835

$8.04 ₹774

270.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.39 ₱1,994

$16.25 ₹1,565

99.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.47 ₱337

$7.56 ₹728

-27.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 ₱377

$3.43 ₹330

78.72%

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

$107 ₱6,599

$69.7 ₹6,713

53.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,444 ₱273.6K

$1,852 ₹178.3K

140.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.83 ₱2,822

$25.59 ₹2,463

79.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.76 ₱1,586

$26.30 ₹2,532

-2.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 ₱4,552

$44.89 ₹4,322

64.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.5 ₱3,846

$33.20 ₹3,197

88.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 ₱19.7K

$174 ₹16.8K

83.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₱11.0K

$112 ₹10.8K

59.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 ₱40.8K

$405 ₹39.0K

63.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.1K

$258 ₹24.8K

39.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,103 ₱191.1K

$1,263 ₹121.6K

145.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,461 ₱89.9K

$653 ₹62.8K

123.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$328 ₱20.2K

$424 ₹40.8K

-22.70%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $258 in Philippines, $127 in India. Capital cities: $486 in Manila vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $295 in Philippines, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 103% higher in Philippines.

Dining out costs 73% more in Philippines.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 35% 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 $589 per month in India and $838 in Philippines, there's a 42% 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.