Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serra and Paranaque City

For one person, living is cheaper in Paranaque City: $794 a month against $889 in Serra, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Serra despite lower rent and utilities.

43

Cost of Living Index in Serra
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Serra Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Paranaque City
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Paranaque City Living Index

Jump to prices

Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$889

/mo nomad

Paranaque City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Serra and in Paranaque City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Serra and in Paranaque City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $889 per month in Serra vs $794 in Paranaque City, rent included.

Serra $889
Paranaque City $794

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Serra vs $1,197 in Paranaque City, rent included.

Serra $1,317
Paranaque City $1,197

A family of three spends $1,744 per month in Serra vs $1,600 in Paranaque City, rent included.

Serra $1,744
Paranaque City $1,600

Serra costs about 12% more than Paranaque City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Serra and Paranaque City are more affordable than the global median – Serra 34% lower, Paranaque City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 R$24.16

$4.42 ₱278

7.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.99 R$117

$16.41 ₱1,033

40.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 R$41.58

$2.82 ₱177

190.78%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.57

$2.11 ₱133

-0.95%

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

$1.34 R$6.77

$0.74 ₱46.43

81.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.15

$0.33 ₱20.99

87.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R$9.88

$1.14 ₱71.6

71.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R$15.53

$2.83 ₱178

8.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.70

$1.61 ₱101

-29.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.13

$1.12 ₱70.3

60.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$0.98 ₱61.6

19.39%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.87

$2.11 ₱133

1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 R$53.2

$5.20 ₱327

101.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R$23.22

$4.16 ₱262

10.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 R$43.27

$7.93 ₱499

7.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 R$14.53

$3.85 ₱242

-25.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.74

$1.59 ₱100

-3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$3.51 ₱221

-47.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.20

$1.12 ₱70.4

44.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.96

$1.73 ₱109

-31.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.65

$1.81 ₱114

-38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.98 ₱62.0

36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R$7.03

$0.50 ₱31.43

178.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.62

$2.86 ₱180

-12.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 R$28.59

$7.74 ₱487

-27.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$0.93 ₱58.3

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R$16.59

$1.99 ₱125

64.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.93

$0.22 ₱13.58

340.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R$239

$11.09 ₱698

325.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 R$6.66

$0.84 ₱52.7

55.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.23 ₱14.49

391.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 R$34.95

$1.89 ₱119

264.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.23 ₱77.2

-12.20%

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

$23.5K R$119.2K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

8.61%

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

$33.8K R$171.1K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

76.16%

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

$158 R$803

$141 ₱8,864

12.52%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$14.27 ₱899

-13.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.05 R$107

$24.19 ₱1,523

-12.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 R$131

$37.66 ₱2,371

-31.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.87 R$141

$5.43 ₱342

413.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 R$37.95

$6.71 ₱423

11.62%

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

$188 R$955

$74.3 ₱4,680

153.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,726 R$34.1K

$6,379 ₱401.6K

5.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R$279

$35.92 ₱2,262

53.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 R$259

$19.13 ₱1,204

167.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 R$462

$70.5 ₱4,437

29.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 R$377

$75.8 ₱4,770

-1.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,271

$219 ₱13.8K

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 R$774

$183 ₱11.5K

-16.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 R$2,261

$570 ₱35.9K

-21.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 R$1,117

$366 ₱23.1K

-39.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$970 R$4,917

$1,128 ₱71.0K

-14.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 R$2,852

$409 ₱25.7K

37.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$559 R$2,833

$493 ₱31.0K

13.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.14%

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

Last update for Serra: October 11, 2026

Last update for Paranaque City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Serra

$212 23.8%

Paranaque City

$191 24.1% 9.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serra

$192 21.6%

Paranaque City

$179 22.6% 6.5% $13

Accommodation & Living

Serra

$153 17.2%

Paranaque City

$183 23.1% 20.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Serra

$122 13.8%

Paranaque City

$91 11.4% 25.9% $32

Eating Out

Serra

$111 12.5%

Paranaque City

$85 10.7% 24% $27

Getting Around

Serra

$58 6.5%

Paranaque City

$14 1.8% 76% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Serra

$41 4.6%

Paranaque City

$51 6.4% 25.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Serra versus $219 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 13% 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 $23.00 in Serra versus $16.00 in Paranaque City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $191 – making Paranaque City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Serra

🇵🇭 Paranaque City

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

12:32 12:32 PM

11 h ahead of Serra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,653

703,245

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Serra Paranaque City 17,940 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Serra
Paranaque City

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $889 in Serra, $794 in Paranaque City – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,333 per month in Serra and $1,191 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 11% 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 $23.00 in Serra and $16.00 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 $889 in Serra and $794 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.