Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Princesa and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Princesa: $705 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Princesa
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Puerto Princesa Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$705

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Princesa and in Manila

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puerto Princesa and in Manila actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $705 per month in Puerto Princesa vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Puerto Princesa $705
Manila $948

A couple spends around $1,050 per month in Puerto Princesa vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Puerto Princesa $1,050
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,396 per month in Puerto Princesa vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Puerto Princesa $1,396
Manila $2,068

Puerto Princesa is about 26% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Puerto Princesa and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Princesa 48% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.28 ₱269

$5.46 ₱344

-21.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.84 ₱1,061

$26.93 ₱1,695

-37.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ₱289

$3.90 ₱246

17.69%

Cappuccino

$2.34 ₱147

$2.62 ₱165

-10.69%

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

$0.88 ₱55.2

$1.36 ₱85.5

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.91

$0.83 ₱52.3

-37.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱79.5

$1.22 ₱76.9

3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₱149

$2.32 ₱146

2.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.96 ₱123

-10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₱64.4

$1.42 ₱89.1

-28.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₱51.9

$1.04 ₱65.4

-21.15%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$2.23 ₱140

-21.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₱347

$7.70 ₱485

-28.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 ₱342

$4.91 ₱309

10.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.59 ₱415

$7.12 ₱448

-7.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ₱149

$3.23 ₱204

-26.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 ₱53.3

$1.92 ₱121

-55.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱151

$2.93 ₱184

-18.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.6

$1.79 ₱113

-36.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$2.32 ₱146

-34.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ₱84.8

$2.73 ₱172

-50.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ₱59.4

$2.12 ₱133

-55.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱43.92

$0.59 ₱37.25

18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱180

$3.18 ₱200

-10.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₱458

$9.81 ₱618

-25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₱66.6

$1.34 ₱84.1

-20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱84.8

$2.00 ₱126

-32.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.71

$0.47 ₱29.47

-46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.06 ₱697

$12.56 ₱791

-11.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.36

$0.73 ₱46.07

1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.17

$0.21 ₱13.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.87 ₱118

4.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 ₱63.7

$1.28 ₱80.6

-21.09%

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

$17.1K ₱1.1M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

-20.01%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-1.08%

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

$62.2 ₱3,915

$124 ₱7,822

-49.94%

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

$10.94 ₱689

$15.73 ₱990

-30.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.60 ₱1,549

$24.40 ₱1,536

0.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.60 ₱2,052

$43.31 ₱2,727

-24.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.75 ₱299

$5.79 ₱365

-17.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 ₱318

$6.76 ₱425

-25.30%

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

$133 ₱8,357

$630 ₱39.7K

-78.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.5K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-10.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.45 ₱2,106

$58.3 ₱3,668

-42.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.50 ₱1,228

$27.34 ₱1,721

-28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ₱4,478

$75.6 ₱4,758

-5.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.2 ₱3,541

$56.6 ₱3,564

-0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₱17.8K

$536 ₱33.8K

-47.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₱12.7K

$284 ₱17.9K

-29.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 ₱32.7K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-72.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ₱19.7K

$654 ₱41.2K

-52.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 ₱151.4K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-45.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,008 ₱63.4K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-60.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 ₱14.1K

$467 ₱29.4K

-52.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.12

7.43

9.29%

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

Last update for Puerto Princesa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Princesa

$201 28.5%

Manila

$284 29.9% 41.1% $83

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Princesa

$176 24.9%

Manila

$222 23.5% 26.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Princesa

$98 13.9%

Manila

$164 17.3% 68.2% $67

Eating Out

Puerto Princesa

$93 13.2%

Manila

$106 11.2% 14.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Princesa

$81 11.5%

Manila

$98 10.3% 20.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Princesa

$43 6.1%

Manila

$57 6% 33.1% $14

Getting Around

Puerto Princesa

$14 2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 17.1% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $283 in Puerto Princesa versus $536 in Manila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 109% higher in Manila, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Puerto Princesa versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $222 – making Puerto Princesa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

Same time as Puerto Princesa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,079

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Puerto Princesa Manila 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Princesa
Manila

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

Puerto Princesa vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $705 in Puerto Princesa, $948 in Manila – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,057 per month in Puerto Princesa and $1,422 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Princesa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $705 in Puerto Princesa and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Puerto Princesa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Princesa, where all-in costs run around $705, than in Manila at $948. In Puerto Princesa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $705 in Puerto Princesa to $948 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Puerto Princesa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.