Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Tacloban Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Tacloban

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,349 in St. Thomas versus $849 in Tacloban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,371 in St. Thomas versus $1,198 in Tacloban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,393 in St. Thomas versus $1,546 in Tacloban.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 177% more expensive than Tacloban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Thomas is 75% above, Tacloban is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.60 CA$28.62

$4.49 ₱277

358.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 CA$103

$17.99 ₱1,110

313.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 CA$16.07

$2.61 ₱161

342.91%

Cappuccino

$3.54 CA$4.92

$2.52 ₱156

40.48%

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

$1.86 CA$2.58

$0.78 ₱48.28

138.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.54

$0.39 ₱23.99

369.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.30 CA$7.36

$1.51 ₱93.4

250.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 CA$7.99

$2.14 ₱132

168.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.78

$2.21 ₱136

-9.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.71

$1.52 ₱94.0

75.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.57

$0.98 ₱60.3

235.71%

Eggs

$3.05 CA$4.24

$2.33 ₱144

30.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 CA$13.28

$13.00 ₱802

-26.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 CA$15.65

$4.85 ₱299

132.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.98 CA$22.20

$7.67 ₱473

108.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.84

$3.51 ₱217

19.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.71

$1.27 ₱78.3

-3.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.62

$3.40 ₱210

-2.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.17

$1.75 ₱108

112.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 CA$3.97

$2.62 ₱162

8.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.55

$2.48 ₱153

3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CA$3.20

$0.93 ₱57.3

147.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$1.98

$0.79 ₱48.79

81.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CA$15.50

$2.09 ₱129

433.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 CA$18.43

$6.56 ₱405

102.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$2.95

$1.15 ₱71.0

84.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.57

$2.31 ₱143

11.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.34

$0.22 ₱13.44

990.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.0 CA$86.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$0.86 ₱53.3

176.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.36

$0.18 ₱11.04

844.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.76 CA$42.74

$2.59 ₱160

1087.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.53

$1.09 ₱67.2

0.92%

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

$25.4K CA$35.3K

$30.0K ₱1.9M

-15.38%

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

$20.6K CA$28.6K

$27.1K ₱1.7M

-24.21%

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

$131 CA$182

$97.0 ₱5,987

34.88%

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

$53.9 CA$74.8

$33.75 ₱2,083

59.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CA$80.2

$29.60 ₱1,826

94.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.44 CA$57.6

$35.17 ₱2,170

17.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.54 ₱280

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 CA$15.26

$6.02 ₱371

82.39%

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

$557 CA$774

$235 ₱14.5K

136.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K CA$15.1K

$3,841 ₱237.0K

183.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 CA$74.6

$46.24 ₱2,853

16.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.85 CA$54.0

$22.65 ₱1,398

71.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 CA$120

$75.2 ₱4,638

15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CA$112

$54.5 ₱3,365

47.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 CA$1,673

$245 ₱15.1K

390.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 CA$1,630

$212 ₱13.1K

453.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CA$2,761

$809 ₱49.9K

145.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 CA$2,546

$239 ₱14.8K

665.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,528 CA$6,292

$2,417 ₱149.1K

87.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,867 CA$5,373

$991 ₱61.1K

290.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,969 CA$4,125

$361 ₱22.3K

722.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

-18.13%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,204 in St. Thomas and $245 in Tacloban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 723% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in St. Thomas vs $18.00 in Tacloban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $234 per month, with Tacloban cheaper across the board.

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

St. Thomas vs Tacloban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Thomas and Tacloban differ by about 177% in total monthly costs ($2,349 vs $849 including rent). Tacloban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

St. Thomas pays 723% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,204 in St. Thomas versus $245 in Tacloban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in St. Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,349 per month in St. Thomas versus $849 in Tacloban – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $849 in Tacloban versus $2,349 in St. Thomas, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tacloban but tight or insufficient in St. Thomas. The gap between the two cities makes Tacloban the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Tacloban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.