Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose del Monte and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose del Monte: $731 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in San Jose del Monte
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San Jose del Monte Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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San Jose del Monte

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $731 per month in San Jose del Monte vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

San Jose del Monte $731
Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,096 per month in San Jose del Monte vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

San Jose del Monte $1,096
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,461 per month in San Jose del Monte vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

San Jose del Monte $1,461
Manila $2,199

San Jose del Monte is about 23% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose del Monte and Manila are more affordable than the global median – San Jose del Monte 46% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 ₱252

$5.34 ₱341

-26.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.34 ₱1,044

$26.46 ₱1,691

-38.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$3.93 ₱251

-30.53%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₱111

$2.53 ₱162

-31.23%

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

$0.56 ₱35.61

$1.35 ₱86.2

-58.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.71

$0.82 ₱52.2

-62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$1.14 ₱72.8

-17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱102

$2.38 ₱152

-32.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱105

$1.91 ₱122

-14.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.44 ₱92.1

-20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.9

$0.94 ₱60.3

Eggs

$2.02 ₱129

$2.30 ₱147

-12.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.07 ₱324

$7.41 ₱473

-31.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ₱210

$4.61 ₱295

-28.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 ₱442

$6.65 ₱425

4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 ₱145

$3.29 ₱211

-31.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₱100

$1.80 ₱115

-12.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ₱152

$3.00 ₱192

-21.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$1.76 ₱112

-42.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 ₱109

$2.22 ₱142

-23.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$2.66 ₱170

-36.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.24

$2.14 ₱137

-69.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.52

$0.53 ₱34.12

-9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$3.06 ₱196

-6.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 ₱563

$9.57 ₱611

-7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$1.30 ₱83.3

-27.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₱126

$1.99 ₱127

-1.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.69

$0.40 ₱25.83

-47.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.48 ₱797

$12.75 ₱815

-2.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱48.17

$0.72 ₱45.97

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.73

$0.23 ₱14.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.84 ₱117

3.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱78.2

$1.27 ₱81.0

-3.94%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

0.71%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.14%

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

$122 ₱7,788

$120 ₱7,641

1.93%

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

$15.32 ₱979

$15.69 ₱1,003

-2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.05 ₱1,472

$23.60 ₱1,508

-2.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.72 ₱2,282

$42.57 ₱2,720

-16.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.50 ₱351

$5.65 ₱361

-2.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱334

$6.50 ₱415

-19.69%

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

$129 ₱8,244

$599 ₱38.3K

-78.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,762 ₱559.8K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

-0.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.74 ₱1,836

$56.7 ₱3,621

-49.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.98 ₱1,213

$27.40 ₱1,751

-30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ₱4,502

$76.4 ₱4,878

-7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 ₱3,428

$55.5 ₱3,546

-3.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 ₱14.7K

$526 ₱33.6K

-56.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ₱12.1K

$297 ₱19.0K

-36.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ₱27.9K

$1,887 ₱120.5K

-76.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₱23.1K

$816 ₱52.1K

-55.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,325 ₱148.6K

$3,968 ₱253.5K

-41.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,217 ₱77.8K

$2,366 ₱151.2K

-48.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.43

-9.15%

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

Last update for San Jose del Monte: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose del Monte

$189 25.9%

Manila

$297 31.4% 56.9% $108

Groceries & Markets

San Jose del Monte

$170 23.3%

Manila

$216 22.9% 26.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose del Monte

$160 21.9%

Manila

$159 16.8% 0.9% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose del Monte

$77 10.6%

Manila

$97 10.3% 25.6% $20

Eating Out

San Jose del Monte

$72 9.9%

Manila

$104 11% 44.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose del Monte

$46 6.3%

Manila

$56 5.9% 20.4% $9.4

Getting Around

San Jose del Monte

$15 2.1%

Manila

$16 1.7% 6.6% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $230 in San Jose del Monte versus $526 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 $16 in San Jose del Monte versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $216 – making San Jose del Monte the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Jose del Monte

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

Same time as San Jose del Monte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

651,813

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Jose del Monte vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $731 in San Jose del Monte, $945 in Manila – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,096 per month in San Jose del Monte and $1,418 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose del Monte, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $230 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $731 in San Jose del Monte and $945 in Manila. That’s a gap of about 29%.

Kindergarten costs $129 per month in San Jose del Monte and $599 in Manila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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