Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Siargao and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $783 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Siargao, Philippines
Manila, Philippines
Siargao
🇵🇭 Philippines
$783
/mo nomad
Manila
🇵🇭 Philippines
$945
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $783 per month in Siargao vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

  • Siargao $783
  • Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,222 per month in Siargao vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

  • Siargao $1,222
  • Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,660 per month in Siargao vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

  • Siargao $1,660
  • Manila $2,199

Siargao is about 17% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Siargao and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Siargao 42% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Siargao
Manila
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.66 ₱233
$5.34 ₱341
-31.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.68 ₱1,256
$26.46 ₱1,689
-25.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.32 ₱212
$3.93 ₱251
-15.52%
Cappuccino
$2.50 ₱160
$2.53 ₱162
-1.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 ₱52.8
$1.35 ₱86.2
-38.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 ₱25.33
$0.82 ₱52.2
-51.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.29 ₱82.1
$1.14 ₱72.8
13.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 ₱138
$2.38 ₱152
-9.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Siargao
Manila
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱122
$1.91 ₱122
0.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.26 ₱80.4
$1.44 ₱92.0
-12.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.93 ₱59.7
$0.94 ₱60.3
-1.06%
Eggs
$2.05 ₱131
$2.30 ₱147
-10.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.11 ₱518
$7.41 ₱473
9.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.26 ₱272
$4.61 ₱295
-7.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.51 ₱479
$6.65 ₱424
12.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 ₱185
$3.29 ₱210
-11.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 ₱97.4
$1.80 ₱115
-15.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.59 ₱165
$3.00 ₱192
-13.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.57 ₱100
$1.76 ₱112
-10.80%
Potato (1kg)
$2.19 ₱140
$2.22 ₱142
-1.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.59 ₱165
$2.66 ₱170
-2.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ₱68.8
$2.14 ₱137
-49.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₱46.08
$0.53 ₱34.10
35.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.80 ₱179
$3.06 ₱196
-8.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.94 ₱443
$9.57 ₱611
-27.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 ₱73.8
$1.30 ₱83.2
-10.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 ₱130
$1.99 ₱127
2.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Siargao
Manila
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱16.46
$0.40 ₱25.81
-35.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.37 ₱726
$12.75 ₱814
-10.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.78 ₱49.73
$0.72 ₱45.94
8.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.24 ₱15.40
$0.23 ₱14.71
4.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.09 ₱133
$1.84 ₱117
13.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 ₱72.7
$1.27 ₱81.0
-10.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.6K ₱1.7M
$20.7K ₱1.3M
28.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.3K ₱1.3M
$18.7K ₱1.2M
8.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siargao
Manila
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$112 ₱7,141
$120 ₱7,635
-6.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.27 ₱2,060
$15.69 ₱1,002
105.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.58 ₱1,761
$23.60 ₱1,507
16.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Siargao
Manila
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.95 ₱2,168
$42.57 ₱2,718
-20.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.50 ₱288
$5.65 ₱361
-20.35%
Cinema Ticket
$5.98 ₱382
$6.50 ₱415
-8.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Siargao
Manila
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$151 ₱9,642
$599 ₱38.2K
-74.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,239 ₱270.6K
$8,818 ₱563.0K
-51.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Siargao
Manila
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.52 ₱2,906
$56.7 ₱3,618
-19.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.51 ₱1,693
$27.40 ₱1,749
-3.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.5 ₱4,881
$76.4 ₱4,874
0.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.2 ₱3,458
$55.5 ₱3,544
-2.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Siargao
Manila
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$263 ₱16.8K
$526 ₱33.6K
-49.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$173 ₱11.1K
$297 ₱18.9K
-41.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$580 ₱37.1K
$1,887 ₱120.5K
-69.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$387 ₱24.7K
$816 ₱52.1K
-52.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,322 ₱148.3K
$3,968 ₱253.3K
-41.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,123 ₱71.7K
$2,366 ₱151.1K
-52.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Siargao
Manila
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$466 ₱29.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
7.43
-10.23%

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

Last update for Siargao: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Siargao
$202
Manila
$216 7% $14
Accommodation & Living
Siargao
$173
Manila
$297 71.4% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siargao
$172
Manila
$159 7.5% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Siargao
$91
Manila
$97 6.5% $6
Eating Out
Siargao
$85
Manila
$104 22.6% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Siargao
$46
Manila
$56 21% $9.7
Getting Around
Siargao
$14
Manila
$16 12.9% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Siargao 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Siargao versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $216 – making Siargao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Siargao
🇵🇭 Manila
🕒 Local time
14:33 2:33 PM
14:33 2:33 PM
Same time as Siargao
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
150,000
1,780,148 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 63.85 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Siargao Manila 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Siargao
  • 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
Siargao vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Siargao and in Manila compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $783 in Siargao, $945 in Manila – Siargao comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Siargao compared to Manila?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,175 per month in Siargao and $1,418 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Siargao and Manila?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Siargao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $526 in Manila.
Which city is more expensive overall: Siargao or Manila?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $783 in Siargao and $945 in Manila. That makes Siargao about 17% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Siargao and in Manila?
Public transport costs about 11% less in Siargao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Where should families live: Siargao or Manila?
Families tend to lean toward Siargao – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Siargao or Manila?
For expats, Siargao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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