Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando, Philippines and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $807 a month against $922 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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San Fernando

🇵🇭 Philippines

$807

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $807 per month in San Fernando vs $922 in Manila, rent included.

San Fernando $807
Manila $922

A couple spends around $1,271 per month in San Fernando vs $1,531 in Manila, rent included.

San Fernando $1,271
Manila $1,531

A family of three spends $1,735 per month in San Fernando vs $2,140 in Manila, rent included.

San Fernando $1,735
Manila $2,140

San Fernando is about 12% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Fernando and Manila are more affordable than the global median – San Fernando 40% lower, Manila 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 ₱195

$4.66 ₱296

-34.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.84 ₱1,516

$26.32 ₱1,673

-9.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱179

$4.02 ₱256

-29.85%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₱109

$2.51 ₱159

-31.87%

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

$0.64 ₱40.43

$1.37 ₱87.2

-53.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱24.23

$0.89 ₱56.5

-57.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₱69.3

$1.20 ₱76.1

-9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱124

$2.34 ₱149

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.87 ₱119

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₱55.0

$1.41 ₱89.6

-38.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱61.1

$1.02 ₱64.6

-5.88%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱121

$2.19 ₱139

-13.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.60 ₱293

$7.47 ₱475

-38.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱210

$4.86 ₱309

-31.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 ₱448

$6.98 ₱444

0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱164

$3.28 ₱208

-21.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ₱131

$1.81 ₱115

13.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 ₱175

$2.90 ₱185

-5.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.2

$1.91 ₱122

-51.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ₱88.0

$2.30 ₱146

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ₱83.8

$2.69 ₱171

-50.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.09

$2.18 ₱139

-70.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.37

$0.57 ₱36.47

-38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ₱172

$3.07 ₱195

-11.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 ₱442

$9.34 ₱594

-25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱47.73

$1.27 ₱81.0

-40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₱187

$2.05 ₱130

43.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.80

$0.33 ₱21.01

-24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.59 ₱864

$12.80 ₱814

6.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.7

$0.78 ₱49.28

28.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱123

$1.85 ₱118

4.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$1.31 ₱83.3

-3.05%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

1.21%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.00%

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

$96.3 ₱6,121

$109 ₱6,946

-11.88%

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

$17.18 ₱1,092

$15.71 ₱999

9.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.29 ₱1,926

$24.58 ₱1,563

23.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.66 ₱2,013

$41.75 ₱2,655

-24.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.57 ₱990

$5.84 ₱372

166.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 ₱296

$6.42 ₱408

-27.41%

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

$267 ₱17.0K

$606 ₱38.5K

-55.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ₱855.9K

$7,674 ₱487.9K

75.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.06 ₱3,119

$55.8 ₱3,550

-12.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.73 ₱2,399

$28.57 ₱1,817

32.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₱4,542

$68.9 ₱4,381

3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 ₱4,982

$58.3 ₱3,706

34.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ₱25.6K

$533 ₱33.9K

-24.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.9K

$289 ₱18.4K

-8.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₱46.0K

$1,916 ₱121.8K

-62.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 ₱35.6K

$780 ₱49.6K

-28.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,249 ₱270.2K

$4,078 ₱259.3K

4.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,385 ₱151.6K

$2,432 ₱154.6K

-1.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ₱32.1K

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 San Fernando: November 1, 2026

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando

$266 32.9%

Manila

$289 31.4% 8.9% $24

Groceries & Markets

San Fernando

$167 20.7%

Manila

$219 23.7% 30.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando

$144 17.8%

Manila

$150 16.2% 4% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando

$106 13.2%

Manila

$95 10.3% 10.6% $11

Eating Out

San Fernando

$67 8.3%

Manila

$99 10.8% 47.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando

$41 5.1%

Manila

$55 5.9% 33.2% $14

Getting Around

San Fernando

$17 2.1%

Manila

$16 1.7% 4.2% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in San Fernando versus $533 in Manila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in San Fernando versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $219 – making San Fernando the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

Same time as San Fernando

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

354,666

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Fernando Manila 58 km

From you

San Fernando
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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

San Fernando vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $807 in San Fernando, $922 in Manila – San Fernando comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,211 per month in San Fernando and $1,383 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $402 there versus $533 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $807 in San Fernando and $922 in Manila. That makes San Fernando about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $807 in San Fernando and $922 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward San Fernando – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.