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: $2,347 in St. Thomas versus $830 in Tacloban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,394 in St. Thomas versus $1,204 in Tacloban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,440 in St. Thomas versus $1,578 in Tacloban.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 183% more expensive than in Tacloban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Thomas is 76% above, Tacloban is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.36 CA$28.54

$4.46 ₱275

356.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$101

$17.64 ₱1,086

309.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 CA$15.64

$2.69 ₱166

314.87%

Cappuccino

$3.44 CA$4.82

$2.66 ₱164

29.32%

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

$1.80 CA$2.52

$0.72 ₱44.27

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$0.39 ₱23.89

358.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 CA$7.21

$1.57 ₱96.8

227.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 CA$8.06

$2.16 ₱133

166.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 CA$2.82

$2.30 ₱142

-12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.78

$1.50 ₱92.6

80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$0.91 ₱56.2

258.24%

Eggs

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.28 ₱140

39.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 CA$13.47

$13.14 ₱809

-26.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.76

$4.87 ₱300

130.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 CA$22.43

$7.74 ₱476

106.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.92

$3.46 ₱213

21.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.81

$1.22 ₱75.4

5.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 CA$4.56

$3.41 ₱210

-4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.17

$1.73 ₱107

113.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.11

$2.66 ₱164

10.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$2.47 ₱152

6.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.27

$0.93 ₱57.3

151.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.11

$0.82 ₱50.6

82.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 CA$15.56

$2.15 ₱132

416.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 CA$17.46

$6.23 ₱384

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$2.97

$1.15 ₱70.7

84.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$2.32 ₱143

8.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.35

$0.17 ₱10.22

1305.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 CA$88.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 CA$3.24

$0.82 ₱50.5

181.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$0.15 ₱9.47

1066.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.81 CA$43.20

$2.69 ₱165

1045.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.09 ₱67.0

4.59%

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

$25.1K CA$35.1K

$30.1K ₱1.9M

-16.90%

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

$20.8K CA$29.2K

$27.0K ₱1.7M

-22.83%

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

$134 CA$188

$95.9 ₱5,903

39.76%

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

$53.7 CA$75.3

$34.79 ₱2,142

54.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 CA$81.1

$29.69 ₱1,828

94.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 CA$57.7

$34.51 ₱2,124

19.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.47 ₱275

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 CA$15.51

$5.89 ₱363

87.78%

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

$546 CA$765

$229 ₱14.1K

137.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K CA$15.3K

$3,959 ₱243.7K

175.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CA$76.1

$45.66 ₱2,811

18.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$54.5

$23.50 ₱1,447

65.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 CA$121

$76.9 ₱4,735

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 CA$113

$55.6 ₱3,425

44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 CA$1,693

$251 ₱15.4K

381.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 CA$1,657

$212 ₱13.0K

457.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 CA$2,811

$800 ₱49.2K

150.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,798 CA$2,521

$233 ₱14.3K

672.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,383 CA$6,145

$2,446 ₱150.6K

79.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,545 CA$4,970

$962 ₱59.2K

268.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,869 CA$4,023

$351 ₱21.6K

717.30%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in St. Thomas and $251 in Tacloban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 717% 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: $72.0 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 183% in total monthly costs ($2,347 vs $830 including rent). Tacloban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 717% 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: $1,208 in St. Thomas versus $251 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 $2,347 per month in St. Thomas versus $830 in Tacloban – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $830 in Tacloban versus $2,347 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 183% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.