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: $2,344 in St. Thomas versus $789 in Tacloban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,407 in St. Thomas versus $1,155 in Tacloban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,471 in St. Thomas versus $1,521 in Tacloban.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 197% more expensive than in Tacloban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Thomas is 71% above, Tacloban is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.89 CA$30.19

$3.10 ₱194

606.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 CA$88.6

$15.76 ₱986

307.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 CA$15.71

$2.43 ₱152

368.72%

Cappuccino

$3.39 CA$4.68

$2.38 ₱149

42.44%

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

$2.22 CA$3.06

$0.69 ₱43.28

221.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.15

$0.37 ₱23.42

321.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 CA$7.07

$1.57 ₱98.4

226.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 CA$8.53

$2.28 ₱142

171.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CA$3.01

$1.92 ₱120

13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 CA$3.67

$1.17 ₱73.4

127.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.32

$0.88 ₱55.0

338.64%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.55

$2.02 ₱126

63.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 CA$13.13

$9.97 ₱623

-4.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.10 CA$22.20

$4.28 ₱268

276.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.55 CA$26.96

$7.09 ₱443

175.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.41

$3.45 ₱216

13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.83

$1.11 ₱69.1

19.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.08

$2.29 ₱143

60.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.52

$1.55 ₱97.1

158.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.68

$2.42 ₱151

40.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.05

$2.00 ₱125

47.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 CA$4.11

$1.24 ₱77.4

140.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.16

$0.67 ₱41.92

132.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CA$15.25

$1.94 ₱121

470.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.35

$6.15 ₱385

104.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.46

$1.09 ₱68.4

130.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 CA$3.92

$1.68 ₱105

69.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 CA$3.45

$0.23 ₱14.68

986.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 CA$98.4

$12.45 ₱779

473.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 CA$3.43

$0.73 ₱45.91

241.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 CA$2.36

$0.23 ₱14.41

643.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.91 CA$31.59

$1.95 ₱122

1074.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.58

$1.03 ₱64.1

11.65%

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

$28.1K CA$38.7K

$21.9K ₱1.4M

28.25%

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

$20.8K CA$28.7K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

8.98%

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

$125 CA$173

$123 ₱7,718

1.39%

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

$44.17 CA$60.9

$15.04 ₱940

193.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 CA$77.8

$27.42 ₱1,715

105.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.00 CA$49.65

$31.45 ₱1,967

14.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 CA$25.78

$4.91 ₱307

280.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 CA$15.10

$5.63 ₱352

94.49%

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

$424 CA$585

$135 ₱8,459

213.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K CA$24.1K

$8,059 ₱504.0K

117.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$73.8

$31.98 ₱2,000

67.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.33 CA$51.5

$20.00 ₱1,251

86.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 CA$114

$77.6 ₱4,855

6.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 CA$126

$59.4 ₱3,716

53.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 CA$1,637

$267 ₱16.7K

344.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 CA$1,494

$195 ₱12.2K

454.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 CA$2,785

$508 ₱31.8K

297.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 CA$2,731

$349 ₱21.8K

468.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,287 CA$5,912

$2,553 ₱159.6K

67.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 CA$5,041

$1,021 ₱63.9K

258.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,073 CA$4,237

$356 ₱22.3K

762.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

7.2

-30.69%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in St. Thomas and $267 in Tacloban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 763% 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: $64.0 in St. Thomas vs $16.00 in Tacloban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $201 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 197% in total monthly costs ($2,344 vs $789 including rent). Tacloban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 763% higher in St. Thomas, 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: $1,187 in St. Thomas versus $267 in Tacloban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $424 in St. Thomas versus $135 in Tacloban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in St. Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $789 in Tacloban versus $2,344 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 197% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.