Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Subic Bay Freeport Zone and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone: $641 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Philippines

$641

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $641 per month in Subic Bay Freeport Zone vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Subic Bay Freeport Zone $641
Manila $945

A couple spends around $978 per month in Subic Bay Freeport Zone vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Subic Bay Freeport Zone $978
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,315 per month in Subic Bay Freeport Zone vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,315
Manila $2,199

Subic Bay Freeport Zone is about 32% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Subic Bay Freeport Zone and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Subic Bay Freeport Zone 53% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 ₱293

$5.34 ₱340

-13.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.04 ₱894

$26.46 ₱1,685

-46.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ₱327

$3.93 ₱251

30.53%

Cappuccino

$2.21 ₱141

$2.53 ₱161

-12.65%

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

$0.68 ₱43.04

$1.35 ₱86.0

-49.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.32

$0.82 ₱52.1

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 ₱88.6

$1.14 ₱72.6

21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$2.38 ₱152

-15.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₱100

$1.91 ₱121

-17.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱69.5

$1.44 ₱91.8

-24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ₱54.1

$0.94 ₱60.1

-9.57%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱123

$2.30 ₱147

-16.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.86 ₱310

$7.41 ₱472

-34.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 ₱254

$4.61 ₱294

-13.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.56 ₱481

$6.65 ₱423

13.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ₱136

$3.29 ₱210

-35.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.80 ₱114

-3.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 ₱162

$3.00 ₱191

-15.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₱73.3

$1.76 ₱112

-34.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱141

$2.22 ₱141

-0.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 ₱133

$2.66 ₱169

-21.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱58.6

$2.14 ₱136

-57.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₱38.57

$0.53 ₱34.01

15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ₱181

$3.06 ₱195

-7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 ₱468

$9.57 ₱609

-23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱58.8

$1.30 ₱83.0

-29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₱117

$1.99 ₱127

-8.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₱11.78

$0.40 ₱25.75

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.86 ₱819

$12.75 ₱812

0.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱51.3

$0.72 ₱45.82

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.23 ₱14.67

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.84 ₱117

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱65.8

$1.27 ₱80.8

-18.90%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-7.63%

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

$20.0K ₱1.3M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

6.94%

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

$135 ₱8,578

$120 ₱7,617

12.63%

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

$14.33 ₱913

$15.69 ₱999

-8.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.57 ₱1,055

$23.60 ₱1,503

-29.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.08 ₱1,916

$42.57 ₱2,711

-29.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.28 ₱337

$5.65 ₱360

-6.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 ₱333

$6.50 ₱414

-19.54%

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

$127 ₱8,078

$599 ₱38.1K

-78.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,688 ₱489.6K

$8,818 ₱561.6K

-12.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.05 ₱1,850

$56.7 ₱3,609

-48.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.80 ₱1,325

$27.40 ₱1,745

-24.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.5 ₱4,046

$76.4 ₱4,863

-16.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.93 ₱2,989

$55.5 ₱3,535

-15.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 ₱7,896

$526 ₱33.5K

-76.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.0 ₱4,905

$297 ₱18.9K

-74.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$323 ₱20.6K

$1,887 ₱120.2K

-82.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 ₱11.9K

$816 ₱52.0K

-77.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₱155.0K

$3,968 ₱252.7K

-38.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 ₱72.8K

$2,366 ₱150.7K

-51.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.43

-6.86%

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

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: October 24, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$177 27.6%

Manila

$216 22.9% 22.4% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$166 25.8%

Manila

$159 16.8% 4.1% $6.7

Eating Out

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$94 14.6%

Manila

$104 11% 10.9% $10

Accommodation & Living

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$77 12%

Manila

$297 31.4% 285% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$72 11.3%

Manila

$97 10.3% 34.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$41 6.3%

Manila

$56 5.9% 37.1% $15

Getting Around

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$15 2.4%

Manila

$16 1.7% 5.1% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 $14 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $216 – making Subic Bay Freeport Zone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

Same time as Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,178

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Manila 79 km

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Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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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

Subic Bay Freeport Zone vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, $945 in Manila – Subic Bay Freeport Zone comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $962 per month in Subic Bay Freeport Zone and $1,418 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $124 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone and $945 in Manila. That makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone about 32% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $127 per month in Subic Bay Freeport Zone and $599 in Manila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, where all-in costs run around $641, than in Manila at $945. In Subic Bay Freeport Zone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Subic Bay Freeport Zone – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.