For one person, living is cheaper in the Philippines: $771 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
How much you'll spend in the Philippines and in Italy
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Philippines and in Italy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in the Philippines versus $1,843 in Italy.
Philippines $771
Italy $1,843
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in the Philippines versus $2,816 in Italy.
Philippines $1,185
Italy $2,816
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,599 in the Philippines versus $3,788 in Italy.
Philippines $1,599
Italy $3,788
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $429–$1,230 in the Philippines. City choice carries more weight in Italy.
🌍
Living in the Philippines costs about 58% less than in Italy on average.
📊
The Philippines (43% below) and Italy (35% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Philippines
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.86₱247
$20.46€18.33
-81.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.54₱1,378
$79.5€71.2
-72.91%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.37₱216
$11.15€9.99
-69.78%
Cappuccino
$2.18₱139
$2.04€1.83
6.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70₱44.64
$3.10€2.78
-77.42%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36₱22.76
$1.40€1.25
-74.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.23₱78.5
$5.51€4.94
-77.68%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90₱121
$5.74€5.14
-66.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Philippines
Italy
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.72₱110
$1.57€1.41
9.55%
White Bread(500g)
$1.21₱77.6
$2.38€2.13
-49.16%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.85₱54.6
$2.90€2.60
-70.69%
Eggs
$1.92₱123
$4.07€3.65
-52.83%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.17₱459
$17.44€15.63
-58.89%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.07₱260
$12.56€11.25
-67.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.78₱434
$20.17€18.07
-66.39%
Apples(1kg)
$2.72₱174
$2.58€2.31
5.43%
Banana(1kg)
$1.35₱86.6
$2.19€1.96
-38.36%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.38₱153
$2.68€2.40
-11.19%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.42₱91.0
$3.27€2.93
-56.57%
Potato(1kg)
$2.16₱138
$1.90€1.70
13.68%
Onion(1kg)
$2.52₱161
$1.82€1.63
38.46%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.34₱85.4
$1.57€1.41
-14.65%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱40.12
$0.55€0.49
14.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.74₱175
$6.69€6.00
-59.04%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.41₱410
$7.99€7.16
-19.77%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16₱74.3
$1.77€1.59
-34.46%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱112
$2.35€2.11
-25.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Philippines
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.24₱15.37
$1.91€1.71
-87.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$13.17₱843
$43.44€38.92
-69.68%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.76₱48.36
$5.62€5.03
-86.48%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.73
$1.71€1.54
-86.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.91₱122
$33.64€30.14
-94.32%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.09₱69.8
$2.03€1.82
-46.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.6K₱1.3M
$35.3K€31.6K
-41.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.3K₱1.2M
$36.7K€32.9K
-47.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Philippines
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$101₱6,448
$227€203
-55.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.64₱873
$11.59€10.39
17.69%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.68₱1,708
$30.38€27.22
-12.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Philippines
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$29.58₱1,893
$51.8€46.39
-42.86%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.72₱366
$23.70€21.24
-75.86%
Cinema Ticket
$5.49₱352
$10.60€9.50
-48.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Philippines
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$140₱8,973
$568€509
-75.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,614₱359.3K
$11.5K€10.3K
-51.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Philippines
Italy
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.27₱2,705
$90.5€81.1
-53.31%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.59₱1,510
$38.55€34.55
-38.81%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$67.6₱4,323
$103€92.0
-34.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.4₱3,736
$131€117
-55.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Philippines
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$353₱22.6K
$826€740
-57.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$218₱14.0K
$646€579
-66.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$732₱46.9K
$1,400€1,255
-47.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$424₱27.1K
$1,054€945
-59.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,393₱217.2K
$3,662€3,282
-7.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,818₱116.3K
$2,301€2,062
-21.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Philippines
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$307₱19.7K
$1,886€1,690
-83.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
3.56
102.25%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for the Philippines: October 25, 2026
Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Philippines
$218 28.3%
Italy
$646 35.1% ↑ 196%$428
🛒Groceries & Markets
Philippines
$187 24.3%
Italy
$348 18.9% ↑ 85.6%$160
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Philippines
$141 18.3%
Italy
$269 14.6% ↑ 90.3%$127
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Philippines
$86 11.2%
Italy
$163 8.9% ↑ 89.1%$77
🍽Eating Out
Philippines
$81 10.5%
Italy
$279 15.1% ↑ 243%$197
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Philippines
$41 5.3%
Italy
$73 4% ↑ 79.9%$32
🚌Getting Around
Philippines
$16 2.1%
Italy
$65 3.5% ↑ 307%$49
🏠Accommodation & Living
Philippines
$424 26.5%
Italy
$1.1K 27.8% ↑ 149%$631
🛒Groceries & Markets
Philippines
$439 27.5%
Italy
$823 21.7% ↑ 87.4%$384
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Philippines
$155 9.7%
Italy
$280 7.4% ↑ 81%$125
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Philippines
$192 12%
Italy
$363 9.6% ↑ 89.1%$171
🍽Eating Out
Philippines
$270 16.9%
Italy
$964 25.5% ↑ 257%$694
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Philippines
$87 5.4%
Italy
$170 4.5% ↑ 95.3%$83
🚌Getting Around
Philippines
$33 2%
Italy
$134 3.6% ↑ 313%$102
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $261 in the Philippines, $729 in Italy. Capital cities: $526 in Manila vs $1,297 in Rome.
💰National salary averages: $283 in the Philippines, $1,890 in Italy. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 179% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 306% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 231% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are about 6.7 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and the Philippines?
At $1,843 per month in Italy and $771 in the Philippines, the Philippines comes out about 58% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in the Philippines: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $729 in Italy and $261 in the Philippines. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Italy or to the Philippines?
It depends on what you’re after: the Philippines wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.
Philippines vs other spots: cost of living compared