Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quezon City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Quezon City: $860 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$860

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quezon City 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 Quezon City and in Manila actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $860 per month in Quezon City vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Quezon City $860
Manila $948

A couple spends around $1,372 per month in Quezon City vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Quezon City $1,372
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,885 per month in Quezon City vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Quezon City $1,885
Manila $2,068

Quezon City is about 9% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Quezon City and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Quezon City 36% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ₱282

$5.46 ₱344

-17.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.90 ₱1,190

$26.93 ₱1,695

-29.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.84 ₱179

$3.90 ₱246

-27.18%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ₱175

$2.62 ₱165

6.49%

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

$0.75 ₱47.41

$1.36 ₱85.5

-44.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₱16.78

$0.83 ₱52.3

-67.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 ₱91.6

$1.22 ₱76.9

18.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ₱178

$2.32 ₱146

21.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.96 ₱123

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱71.6

$1.42 ₱89.1

-19.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱53.0

$1.04 ₱65.4

-19.23%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$2.23 ₱140

-21.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.69 ₱421

$7.70 ₱485

-13.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₱267

$4.91 ₱309

-13.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 ₱455

$7.12 ₱448

1.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 ₱250

$3.23 ₱204

22.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 ₱85.7

$1.92 ₱121

-29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 ₱218

$2.93 ₱184

18.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$1.79 ₱113

-36.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

$2.32 ₱146

1.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 ₱209

$2.73 ₱172

21.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₱89.7

$2.12 ₱133

-33.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.2

$0.59 ₱37.25

64.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱178

$3.18 ₱200

-11.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 ₱487

$9.81 ₱618

-21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.8

$1.34 ₱84.1

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₱113

$2.00 ₱126

-10.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₱22.92

$0.47 ₱29.47

-23.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.25 ₱1,212

$12.56 ₱791

53.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.63

$0.73 ₱46.07

5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.22

$0.21 ₱13.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 ₱162

$1.87 ₱118

37.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱74.6

$1.28 ₱80.6

-7.81%

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

$21.4K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

0.39%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-1.01%

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

$163 ₱10.2K

$124 ₱7,822

30.95%

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

$14.34 ₱903

$15.73 ₱990

-8.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.17 ₱1,522

$24.40 ₱1,536

-0.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.36 ₱2,415

$43.31 ₱2,727

-11.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.30 ₱207

$5.79 ₱365

-43.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 ₱441

$6.76 ₱425

3.70%

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

$71.8 ₱4,522

$630 ₱39.7K

-88.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,491 ₱156.8K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-72.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.65 ₱2,245

$58.3 ₱3,668

-38.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.77 ₱1,433

$27.34 ₱1,721

-16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₱4,898

$75.6 ₱4,758

2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 ₱4,850

$56.6 ₱3,564

36.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₱19.7K

$536 ₱33.8K

-41.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 ₱11.8K

$284 ₱17.9K

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₱47.0K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-60.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 ₱33.8K

$654 ₱41.2K

-17.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,370 ₱149.2K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-46.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,425 ₱89.7K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-43.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 ₱27.0K

$467 ₱29.4K

-8.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

-5.79%

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

Last update for Quezon City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Quezon City

$206 24%

Manila

$222 23.5% 8.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quezon City

$201 23.4%

Manila

$164 17.3% 18.3% $37

Accommodation & Living

Quezon City

$187 21.8%

Manila

$284 29.9% 51.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Quezon City

$96 11.2%

Manila

$98 10.3% 2.1% $2

Eating Out

Quezon City

$95 11%

Manila

$106 11.2% 12.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Quezon City

$52 6.1%

Manila

$57 6% 8.5% $4.4

Getting Around

Quezon City

$23 2.6%

Manila

$16 1.7% 28.1% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $312 in Quezon City 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 9% 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 $19.00 in Quezon City versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $222 – making Quezon City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

Same time as Quezon City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,936,116

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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Quezon City vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $860 in Quezon City, $948 in Manila – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,290 per month in Quezon City 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 Quezon City, 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 $860 in Quezon City and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 10%.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Quezon City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Quezon City, where all-in costs run around $860, than in Manila at $948. In Quezon City 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 $860 in Quezon City 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 Quezon City. 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.