Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa, Philippines and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $614 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa
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Santa Rosa Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$614

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $614 per month in Santa Rosa vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Santa Rosa $614
Manila $945

A couple spends around $873 per month in Santa Rosa vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Santa Rosa $873
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,131 per month in Santa Rosa vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Santa Rosa $1,131
Manila $2,199

Santa Rosa is about 35% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Rosa and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Santa Rosa 55% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.47 ₱158

$5.34 ₱341

-53.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.32 ₱1,042

$26.46 ₱1,691

-38.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱176

$3.93 ₱251

-29.77%

Cappuccino

$1.12 ₱71.3

$2.53 ₱162

-55.73%

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

$0.36 ₱22.76

$1.35 ₱86.2

-73.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱13.96

$0.82 ₱52.2

-73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.8

$1.14 ₱72.8

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱80.7

$2.38 ₱152

-47.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱102

$1.91 ₱122

-16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.6

$1.44 ₱92.1

-20.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱63.6

$0.94 ₱60.3

5.32%

Eggs

$1.53 ₱97.7

$2.30 ₱147

-33.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 ₱326

$7.41 ₱473

-31.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ₱219

$4.61 ₱295

-25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 ₱495

$6.65 ₱425

16.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ₱139

$3.29 ₱211

-33.74%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₱51.2

$1.80 ₱115

-55.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₱145

$3.00 ₱192

-24.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱64.0

$1.76 ₱112

-43.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₱109

$2.22 ₱142

-22.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 ₱111

$2.66 ₱170

-34.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₱40.97

$2.14 ₱137

-70.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.37

$0.53 ₱34.12

-9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₱179

$3.06 ₱196

-8.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 ₱559

$9.57 ₱611

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱61.0

$1.30 ₱83.3

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱129

$1.99 ₱127

2.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.28

$0.40 ₱25.83

-47.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.39 ₱856

$12.75 ₱815

5.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.6

$0.72 ₱45.97

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.36

$0.23 ₱14.72

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱123

$1.84 ₱117

4.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱65.2

$1.27 ₱81.0

-19.69%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

2.49%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

2.63%

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

$62.5 ₱3,990

$120 ₱7,641

-47.78%

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

$6.40 ₱409

$15.69 ₱1,003

-59.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 ₱1,496

$23.60 ₱1,508

-0.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.17 ₱1,991

$42.57 ₱2,720

-26.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 ₱382

$5.65 ₱361

6.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 ₱330

$6.50 ₱415

-20.62%

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

$132 ₱8,404

$599 ₱38.3K

-78.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,549 ₱354.5K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

-37.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.17 ₱1,800

$56.7 ₱3,621

-50.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.31 ₱1,234

$27.40 ₱1,751

-29.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,569

$76.4 ₱4,878

-6.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 ₱3,517

$55.5 ₱3,546

-0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 ₱16.3K

$526 ₱33.6K

-51.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.8K

$297 ₱19.0K

-43.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₱31.6K

$1,887 ₱120.5K

-73.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.8K

$816 ₱52.1K

-79.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,457 ₱157.0K

$3,968 ₱253.5K

-38.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,162 ₱74.2K

$2,366 ₱151.2K

-50.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$140 ₱8,933

$466 ₱29.8K

-70.01%

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 Santa Rosa: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa

$168 27.4%

Manila

$297 31.4% 76.3% $128

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa

$166 27.1%

Manila

$216 22.9% 30.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa

$92 15%

Manila

$159 16.8% 72.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa

$78 12.8%

Manila

$97 10.3% 24.1% $19

Eating Out

Santa Rosa

$51 8.3%

Manila

$104 11% 103% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa

$41 6.8%

Manila

$56 5.9% 33.9% $14

Getting Around

Santa Rosa

$16 2.6%

Manila

$16 1.7% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $255 in Santa Rosa 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 in Manila are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Santa Rosa versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $216 – making Santa Rosa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

Same time as Santa Rosa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

414,812

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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Santa Rosa Manila 34 km

From you

Santa Rosa
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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

Santa Rosa vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $614 in Santa Rosa, $945 in Manila – Santa Rosa comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $921 per month in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $255 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $614 in Santa Rosa and $945 in Manila. That makes Santa Rosa about 35% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 5% 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 $614 in Santa Rosa and $945 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Rosa – 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 Santa Rosa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.