Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro, Philippines and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro: $707 a month against $922 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 Pedro
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San Pedro Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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San Pedro

🇵🇭 Philippines

$707

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $707 per month in San Pedro vs $922 in Manila, rent included.

San Pedro $707
Manila $922

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in San Pedro vs $1,531 in Manila, rent included.

San Pedro $1,074
Manila $1,531

A family of three spends $1,442 per month in San Pedro vs $2,140 in Manila, rent included.

San Pedro $1,442
Manila $2,140

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

Both San Pedro and Manila are more affordable than the global median – San Pedro 48% lower, Manila 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ₱242

$4.66 ₱296

-18.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,059

$26.32 ₱1,673

-36.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.79 ₱177

$4.02 ₱256

-30.60%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₱112

$2.51 ₱159

-29.88%

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

$0.55 ₱34.86

$1.37 ₱87.2

-59.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.70

$0.89 ₱56.5

-65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$1.20 ₱76.1

-15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₱100

$2.34 ₱149

-32.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ₱104

$1.87 ₱119

-12.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱69.4

$1.41 ₱89.6

-22.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.4

$1.02 ₱64.6

-0.98%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱125

$2.19 ₱139

-10.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.83 ₱307

$7.47 ₱475

-35.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ₱217

$4.86 ₱309

-29.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱431

$6.98 ₱444

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ₱142

$3.28 ₱208

-31.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₱99.9

$1.81 ₱115

-13.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.90 ₱185

-22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.2

$1.91 ₱122

-44.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 ₱104

$2.30 ₱146

-29.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ₱113

$2.69 ₱171

-34.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ₱59.6

$2.18 ₱139

-56.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.49

$0.57 ₱36.47

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ₱185

$3.07 ₱195

-5.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 ₱553

$9.34 ₱594

-6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.8

$1.27 ₱81.0

-28.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱126

$2.05 ₱130

-3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.29

$0.33 ₱21.01

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.33 ₱784

$12.80 ₱814

-3.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱46.09

$0.78 ₱49.28

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.73

$0.20 ₱12.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.85 ₱118

-0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱75.3

$1.31 ₱83.3

-9.92%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.89%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.43%

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

$121 ₱7,665

$109 ₱6,946

10.35%

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

$15.83 ₱1,006

$15.71 ₱999

0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.27 ₱1,479

$24.58 ₱1,563

-5.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.50 ₱2,003

$41.75 ₱2,655

-24.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 ₱324

$5.84 ₱372

-12.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 ₱329

$6.42 ₱408

-19.47%

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

$130 ₱8,269

$606 ₱38.5K

-78.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,736 ₱555.4K

$7,674 ₱487.9K

13.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.24 ₱1,796

$55.8 ₱3,550

-49.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.23 ₱1,222

$28.57 ₱1,817

-32.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₱4,551

$68.9 ₱4,381

3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 ₱3,536

$58.3 ₱3,706

-4.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ₱16.0K

$533 ₱33.9K

-52.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$289 ₱18.4K

-41.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₱30.8K

$1,916 ₱121.8K

-74.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$780 ₱49.6K

-55.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,591 ₱164.8K

$4,078 ₱259.3K

-36.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 ₱69.2K

$2,432 ₱154.6K

-55.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 ₱7,951

$505 ₱32.1K

-75.25%

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 Pedro: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manila: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro

$170 24.1%

Manila

$219 23.7% 28.5% $49

Accommodation & Living

San Pedro

$170 24%

Manila

$289 31.4% 70.6% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro

$160 22.6%

Manila

$150 16.2% 6.3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro

$79 11.1%

Manila

$95 10.3% 21.1% $17

Eating Out

San Pedro

$72 10.2%

Manila

$99 10.8% 38.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro

$42 5.9%

Manila

$55 5.9% 30.4% $13

Getting Around

San Pedro

$15 2.1%

Manila

$16 1.7% 5.9% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in San Pedro 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.

Salaries in Manila are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in San Pedro versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $219 – making San Pedro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Pedro

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

Same time as San Pedro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

326,001

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Pedro Manila 26 km

From you

San Pedro
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $707 in San Pedro, $922 in Manila – San Pedro comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,060 per month in San Pedro 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 Pedro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $252 there versus $533 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $707 in San Pedro and $922 in Manila. That makes San Pedro about 23% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 4% less in San Pedro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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