Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sorsogon City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Sorsogon City: $735 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Sorsogon City
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Sorsogon City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Sorsogon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$735

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $735 per month in Sorsogon City vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Sorsogon City $735
Manila $948

A couple spends around $1,140 per month in Sorsogon City vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Sorsogon City $1,140
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,545 per month in Sorsogon City vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Sorsogon City $1,545
Manila $2,068

Sorsogon City is about 22% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sorsogon City and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Sorsogon City 46% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 ₱247

$5.46 ₱344

-28.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.79 ₱1,057

$26.93 ₱1,695

-37.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱171

$3.90 ₱246

-30.26%

Cappuccino

$2.28 ₱143

$2.62 ₱165

-12.98%

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

$0.66 ₱41.37

$1.36 ₱85.5

-51.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.07

$0.83 ₱52.3

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ₱75.9

$1.22 ₱76.9

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$2.32 ₱146

-14.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱105

$1.96 ₱123

-14.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱68.8

$1.42 ₱89.1

-23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.0

$1.04 ₱65.4

-8.65%

Eggs

$1.87 ₱118

$2.23 ₱140

-16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.12 ₱323

$7.70 ₱485

-33.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ₱257

$4.91 ₱309

-17.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 ₱456

$7.12 ₱448

1.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ₱160

$3.23 ₱204

-21.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.92 ₱121

-6.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 ₱156

$2.93 ₱184

-15.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.4

$1.79 ₱113

-36.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$2.32 ₱146

-2.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 ₱135

$2.73 ₱172

-21.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ₱57.5

$2.12 ₱133

-57.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.05

$0.59 ₱37.25

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ₱204

$3.18 ₱200

1.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₱467

$9.81 ₱618

-24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.1

$1.34 ₱84.1

-26.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱123

$2.00 ₱126

-2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.48

$0.47 ₱29.47

-46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.63 ₱606

$12.56 ₱791

-23.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.8

$0.73 ₱46.07

15.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 ₱11.96

$0.21 ₱13.20

-9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.87 ₱118

16.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ₱65.6

$1.28 ₱80.6

-18.75%

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

$20.0K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

-6.18%

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

$19.8K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

2.43%

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

$138 ₱8,683

$124 ₱7,822

11.00%

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

$14.19 ₱894

$15.73 ₱990

-9.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.78 ₱1,560

$24.40 ₱1,536

1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.25 ₱2,031

$43.31 ₱2,727

-25.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 ₱323

$5.79 ₱365

-11.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 ₱369

$6.76 ₱425

-13.31%

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

$128 ₱8,088

$630 ₱39.7K

-79.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,096 ₱446.8K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-21.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.34 ₱1,910

$58.3 ₱3,668

-47.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.27 ₱1,277

$27.34 ₱1,721

-25.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 ₱4,576

$75.6 ₱4,758

-3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.9 ₱3,837

$56.6 ₱3,564

7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 ₱14.4K

$536 ₱33.8K

-57.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 ₱9,913

$284 ₱17.9K

-44.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.1K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-71.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 ₱24.0K

$654 ₱41.2K

-41.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,397 ₱150.9K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-45.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,110 ₱69.9K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-56.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.43

-8.61%

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

Last update for Sorsogon City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sorsogon City

$180 24.5%

Manila

$222 23.5% 23.4% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sorsogon City

$177 24.1%

Manila

$164 17.3% 7.1% $13

Accommodation & Living

Sorsogon City

$157 21.4%

Manila

$284 29.9% 80.2% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Sorsogon City

$83 11.3%

Manila

$98 10.3% 18.2% $15

Eating Out

Sorsogon City

$81 11%

Manila

$106 11.2% 31.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sorsogon City

$44 6%

Manila

$57 6% 29.2% $13

Getting Around

Sorsogon City

$12 1.7%

Manila

$16 1.7% 30.7% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $228 in Sorsogon City versus $536 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 $17.00 in Sorsogon City versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $222 – making Sorsogon City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Sorsogon City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

Same time as Sorsogon City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,110

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sorsogon City Manila 370 km

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Sorsogon City
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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

Sorsogon City vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $735 in Sorsogon City, $948 in Manila – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,102 per month in Sorsogon City and $1,422 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $735 in Sorsogon City and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Sorsogon City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sorsogon City, where all-in costs run around $735, than in Manila at $948. In Sorsogon City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $735 in Sorsogon City to $948 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Sorsogon City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.