Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Philippines and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $727 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.

35

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $727 per month in San Juan vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

San Juan $727
Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,099 per month in San Juan vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

San Juan $1,099
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,471 per month in San Juan vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

San Juan $1,471
Manila $2,199

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

Both San Juan and Manila are more affordable than the global median – San Juan 47% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱255

$5.34 ₱341

-25.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 ₱1,032

$26.46 ₱1,686

-38.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.80 ₱178

$3.93 ₱251

-28.75%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₱166

$2.53 ₱161

3.16%

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

$0.61 ₱38.78

$1.35 ₱86.0

-54.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.31

$0.82 ₱52.1

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.3

$1.14 ₱72.6

-11.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.3

$2.38 ₱152

-35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱106

$1.91 ₱121

-12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱72.3

$1.44 ₱91.8

-21.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱58.1

$0.94 ₱60.1

-3.19%

Eggs

$1.77 ₱113

$2.30 ₱147

-23.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 ₱317

$7.41 ₱472

-32.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$4.61 ₱294

-28.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱445

$6.65 ₱424

4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₱140

$3.29 ₱210

-33.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 ₱88.9

$1.80 ₱114

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₱145

$3.00 ₱191

-24.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱63.9

$1.76 ₱112

-43.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.22 ₱141

-22.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$2.66 ₱169

-36.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₱38.18

$2.14 ₱136

-71.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.4

$0.53 ₱34.03

67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 ₱172

$3.06 ₱195

-11.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 ₱479

$9.57 ₱610

-21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.5

$1.30 ₱83.1

-28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱111

$1.99 ₱127

-12.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.92

$0.40 ₱25.76

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ₱732

$12.75 ₱812

-9.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.56

$0.72 ₱45.85

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.23 ₱14.68

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.84 ₱117

1.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱74.5

$1.27 ₱80.8

-7.87%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

1.47%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

2.61%

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

$136 ₱8,682

$120 ₱7,620

13.93%

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

$14.17 ₱903

$15.69 ₱1,000

-9.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.95 ₱1,526

$23.60 ₱1,504

1.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.03 ₱1,722

$42.57 ₱2,713

-36.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱329

$5.65 ₱360

-8.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₱319

$6.50 ₱414

-22.92%

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

$70.3 ₱4,482

$599 ₱38.2K

-88.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,442 ₱155.6K

$8,818 ₱561.9K

-72.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.72 ₱1,830

$56.7 ₱3,611

-49.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.22 ₱1,225

$27.40 ₱1,746

-29.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,522

$76.4 ₱4,865

-7.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,522

$55.5 ₱3,537

-0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.1K

$526 ₱33.5K

-48.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$297 ₱18.9K

-42.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₱31.4K

$1,887 ₱120.2K

-73.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.7K

$816 ₱52.0K

-56.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 ₱146.8K

$3,968 ₱252.9K

-41.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 ₱75.6K

$2,366 ₱150.8K

-49.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$235 ₱15.0K

$466 ₱29.7K

-49.53%

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 Juan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$174 24%

Manila

$159 16.8% 8.9% $15

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$170 23.4%

Manila

$297 31.4% 74.6% $127

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$169 23.3%

Manila

$216 22.9% 27.7% $47

Eating Out

San Juan

$84 11.5%

Manila

$104 11% 24.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$78 10.8%

Manila

$97 10.3% 24% $19

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$37 5.1%

Manila

$56 5.9% 50% $19

Getting Around

San Juan

$14 2%

Manila

$16 1.7% 13.7% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in San Juan 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.

Salaries run about 98% higher in Manila. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in San Juan versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $216 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Juan

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,347

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

On the map

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From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $727 in San Juan, $945 in Manila – San Juan comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,091 per month in San Juan 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 Juan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $269 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $727 in San Juan and $945 in Manila. That makes San Juan about 23% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 10% less in San Juan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $727 in San Juan and $945 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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