For one person, living is cheaper in the Philippines: $771 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in the Philippines and in the United Kingdom
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 the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in the Philippines versus $2,462 in the United Kingdom.
Philippines $771
United Kingdom $2,462
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in the Philippines versus $3,600 in the United Kingdom.
Philippines $1,185
United Kingdom $3,600
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,599 in the Philippines versus $4,738 in the United Kingdom.
Philippines $1,599
United Kingdom $4,738
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $429–$1,230 in the Philippines. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.
🌍
Living in the Philippines costs about 69% less than in the United Kingdom on average.
📊
The Philippines (43% below) and the United Kingdom (81% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Philippines
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.86₱246
$21.48£16.06
-82.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.54₱1,375
$85.7£64.1
-74.88%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.37₱215
$10.61£7.93
-68.24%
Cappuccino
$2.18₱139
$4.91£3.67
-55.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70₱44.54
$2.66£1.99
-73.68%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36₱22.71
$1.87£1.40
-80.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.23₱78.3
$6.63£4.95
-81.45%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90₱121
$6.84£5.12
-72.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Philippines
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.72₱110
$1.68£1.26
2.38%
White Bread(500g)
$1.21₱77.5
$1.72£1.29
-29.65%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.85₱54.5
$2.17£1.62
-60.83%
Eggs
$1.92₱123
$4.00£2.99
-52.00%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.17₱458
$9.42£7.04
-23.89%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.07₱260
$9.19£6.87
-55.71%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.78₱433
$14.77£11.04
-54.10%
Apples(1kg)
$2.72₱173
$2.97£2.22
-8.42%
Banana(1kg)
$1.35₱86.4
$1.62£1.21
-16.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.38₱152
$2.85£2.13
-16.49%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.42₱90.8
$3.52£2.63
-59.66%
Potato(1kg)
$2.16₱138
$1.83£1.37
18.03%
Onion(1kg)
$2.52₱161
$1.61£1.20
56.52%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.34₱85.2
$1.25£0.93
7.20%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱40.03
$1.66£1.24
-62.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.74₱175
$23.65£17.68
-88.41%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.41₱409
$10.50£7.85
-38.95%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16₱74.1
$2.98£2.23
-61.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱112
$3.51£2.62
-50.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Philippines
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.24₱15.34
$3.98£2.97
-93.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$13.17₱841
$107£80.3
-87.74%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.76₱48.24
$5.18£3.87
-85.33%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.69
$2.35£1.75
-90.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.91₱122
$26.84£20.06
-92.88%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.09₱69.6
$1.99£1.49
-45.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.6K₱1.3M
$39.4K£29.5K
-47.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.3K₱1.2M
$40.5K£30.3K
-52.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Philippines
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$101₱6,433
$327£245
-69.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.64₱871
$18.21£13.61
-25.10%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.68₱1,704
$43.60£32.59
-38.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Philippines
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$29.58₱1,889
$42.36£31.66
-30.17%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.72₱365
$18.22£13.62
-68.61%
Cinema Ticket
$5.49₱351
$13.85£10.35
-60.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Philippines
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$140₱8,952
$1,868£1,396
-92.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,614₱358.4K
$22.6K£16.9K
-75.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Philippines
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.27₱2,699
$92.9£69.5
-54.51%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.59₱1,506
$45.92£34.32
-48.63%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$67.6₱4,313
$102£76.0
-33.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.4₱3,727
$102£76.4
-42.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Philippines
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$353₱22.6K
$1,342£1,003
-73.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$218₱13.9K
$1,073£802
-79.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$732₱46.7K
$2,231£1,668
-67.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$424₱27.1K
$1,742£1,302
-75.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,393₱216.6K
$5,601£4,187
-39.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,818₱116.1K
$4,265£3,188
-57.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Philippines
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$307₱19.6K
$3,349£2,504
-90.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
5.32
35.34%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for the Philippines: October 25, 2026
Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 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%
United Kingdom
$1.1K 43.6% ↑ 392%$855
🛒Groceries & Markets
Philippines
$187 24.3%
United Kingdom
$307 12.5% ↑ 63.9%$120
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Philippines
$141 18.3%
United Kingdom
$389 15.8% ↑ 176%$248
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Philippines
$86 11.2%
United Kingdom
$154 6.3% ↑ 78.7%$68
🍽Eating Out
Philippines
$81 10.5%
United Kingdom
$328 13.3% ↑ 303%$246
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Philippines
$41 5.3%
United Kingdom
$70 2.9% ↑ 72.7%$29
🚌Getting Around
Philippines
$16 2.1%
United Kingdom
$140 5.7% ↑ 774%$124
🏠Accommodation & Living
Philippines
$424 26.5%
United Kingdom
$1.7K 36.8% ↑ 311%$1.3K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Philippines
$439 27.5%
United Kingdom
$705 14.9% ↑ 60.7%$266
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Philippines
$155 9.7%
United Kingdom
$407 8.6% ↑ 163%$252
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Philippines
$192 12%
United Kingdom
$343 7.2% ↑ 78.7%$151
🍽Eating Out
Philippines
$270 16.9%
United Kingdom
$1.1K 23.1% ↑ 305%$824
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Philippines
$87 5.4%
United Kingdom
$158 3.3% ↑ 82.3%$71
🚌Getting Around
Philippines
$33 2%
United Kingdom
$288 6.1% ↑ 786%$256
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $261 in the Philippines, $1,287 in the United Kingdom. Capital cities: $526 in Manila vs $2,811 in London.
💰National salary averages: $283 in the Philippines, $3,251 in the United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 393% higher in the United Kingdom.
⭐Dining out costs 361% more in the United Kingdom.
⭐Public transport is 677% more expensive in the United Kingdom.
⭐Salaries are about 11 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.
Philippines→United Kingdom10,740 km≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
Philippines
United Kingdom
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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: the Philippines or the United Kingdom?
At $771 per month in the Philippines and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, the Philippines comes out about 69% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: the Philippines or the United Kingdom?
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.
How do rents compare between the Philippines and the United Kingdom?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $261 in the Philippines. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $2,000 go in the Philippines compared to the United Kingdom?
In the Philippines, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in the Philippines and in the United Kingdom?
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