Cost of Living Comparison Between Serra and Paranaque City Cost of Living Comparison Between Serra and Paranaque City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $847 per month in Serra vs $800 in Paranaque City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,267 per month in Serra vs $1,210 in Paranaque City, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,687 per month in Serra vs $1,619 in Paranaque City, rent included.

Serra costs about 6% more than Paranaque City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Serra and Paranaque City are more affordable than the global median – Serra 38% lower, Paranaque City 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 R$24.18

$4.34 ₱271

8.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.21 R$114

$16.93 ₱1,056

31.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 R$39.88

$2.85 ₱178

171.58%

Cappuccino

$1.88 R$9.71

$2.15 ₱134

-12.56%

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

$1.28 R$6.61

$0.70 ₱43.76

82.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 R$2.84

$0.34 ₱21.30

61.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 R$9.92

$1.10 ₱68.6

74.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 R$14.76

$2.87 ₱179

-0.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.84

$1.68 ₱105

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 R$9.24

$1.12 ₱70.2

59.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.63

$1.02 ₱63.4

6.86%

Eggs

$2.03 R$10.48

$2.08 ₱130

-2.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 R$51.6

$5.23 ₱326

91.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 R$22.12

$4.09 ₱255

4.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.09 R$41.68

$8.08 ₱504

0.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 R$14.35

$3.92 ₱245

-29.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.61

$1.54 ₱96.2

-3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.89

$3.42 ₱213

-49.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.17 ₱73.0

27.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.89

$1.75 ₱109

-34.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.89 ₱118

-43.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R$6.26

$0.93 ₱58.3

30.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.58

$0.53 ₱32.97

141.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 R$12.59

$2.81 ₱176

-13.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.52 R$28.46

$7.79 ₱486

-29.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.70

$0.97 ₱60.8

-6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 R$16.52

$2.07 ₱129

55.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 R$4.59

$0.20 ₱12.68

345.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.58 R$240

$11.08 ₱691

320.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.53

$0.81 ₱50.8

56.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 R$5.62

$0.23 ₱14.41

373.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 R$35.72

$1.88 ₱117

268.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.65

$1.14 ₱71.1

-3.51%

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

$22.8K R$117.5K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

4.78%

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

$32.5K R$167.7K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

68.45%

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

$152 R$786

$143 ₱8,898

6.92%

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

$12.22 R$63.0

$14.60 ₱911

-16.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.46 R$105

$25.48 ₱1,590

-19.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.57 R$132

$37.05 ₱2,312

-30.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 R$135

$5.74 ₱358

355.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 R$36.60

$6.63 ₱414

7.09%

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

$175 R$901

$74.6 ₱4,653

134.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,433 R$38.3K

$6,321 ₱394.4K

17.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$271

$36.18 ₱2,258

45.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.11 R$248

$19.27 ₱1,203

149.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 R$465

$73.3 ₱4,576

23.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 R$367

$75.7 ₱4,726

-6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 R$1,243

$224 ₱14.0K

7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 R$746

$184 ₱11.5K

-21.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 R$2,219

$554 ₱34.6K

-22.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 R$1,089

$365 ₱22.8K

-42.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$941 R$4,848

$1,128 ₱70.4K

-16.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 R$2,737

$423 ₱26.4K

25.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 R$2,802

$492 ₱30.7K

10.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

58.86%

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

Last update for Serra: August 31, 2026

Last update for Paranaque City: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $241 in Serra versus $224 in Paranaque City. 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 11% higher in Serra, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Serra versus $17.00 in Paranaque City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $193 – making Paranaque City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Serra vs Paranaque City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $847 in Serra, $800 in Paranaque City – roughly 6% apart. Serra costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,270 per month in Serra and $1,201 in Paranaque City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paranaque City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Serra, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Serra and $17.00 in Paranaque City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $847 in Serra and $800 in Paranaque City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Paranaque City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Serra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.