Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacloban and St. Thomas

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $773 a month against $2,432 in St. Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in St. Thomas
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St. Thomas Living Index

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Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$773

/mo nomad

St. Thomas

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,432

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tacloban and in St. Thomas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tacloban and in St. Thomas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $773 in Tacloban versus $2,432 in St. Thomas.

Tacloban $773
St. Thomas $2,432

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,160 in Tacloban versus $3,274 in St. Thomas.

Tacloban $1,160
St. Thomas $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,548 in Tacloban versus $4,117 in St. Thomas.

Tacloban $1,548
St. Thomas $4,117

Living in Tacloban costs roughly 68% less than in St. Thomas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tacloban is 43% below, St. Thomas is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 ₱193

$21.05 CA$29.76

-85.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.80 ₱995

$62.6 CA$88.5

-74.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.36 ₱149

$11.38 CA$16.09

-79.26%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₱152

$3.32 CA$4.69

-27.41%

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

$0.66 ₱41.55

$2.19 CA$3.10

-69.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₱23.54

$1.59 CA$2.24

-76.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₱98.2

$5.02 CA$7.10

-68.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₱139

$5.89 CA$8.33

-62.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ₱128

$2.08 CA$2.95

-2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ₱73.9

$2.61 CA$3.69

-55.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱56.7

$3.73 CA$5.27

-75.87%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$3.09 CA$4.37

-36.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 ₱629

$9.94 CA$14.05

0.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 ₱273

$15.43 CA$21.81

-71.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 ₱453

$19.20 CA$27.15

-62.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₱218

$3.86 CA$5.46

-10.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₱69.0

$1.24 CA$1.75

-11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$3.49 CA$4.94

-33.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ₱93.5

$3.97 CA$5.61

-62.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$3.36 CA$4.76

-29.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$3.07 CA$4.34

-37.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱71.9

$2.85 CA$4.03

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.22

$1.46 CA$2.06

-56.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₱123

$10.98 CA$15.52

-82.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 ₱392

$12.74 CA$18.01

-51.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.0

$2.40 CA$3.39

-52.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₱104

$2.78 CA$3.93

-40.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱17.05

$2.25 CA$3.18

-88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.05 ₱696

$58.7 CA$82.9

-81.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.11

$2.30 CA$3.26

-66.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$1.62 CA$2.29

-85.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$21.70 CA$30.68

-91.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ₱62.1

$1.13 CA$1.59

-12.39%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$28.0K CA$39.6K

-24.40%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$19.7K CA$27.9K

-0.46%

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

$120 ₱7,542

$123 CA$174

-2.91%

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

$14.07 ₱886

$42.76 CA$60.5

-67.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.83 ₱1,752

$55.5 CA$78.4

-49.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.70 ₱2,059

$44.43 CA$62.8

-26.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.69 ₱295

$20.32 CA$28.72

-76.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 ₱361

$10.33 CA$14.61

-44.53%

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

$134 ₱8,419

$399 CA$564

-66.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,021 ₱505.0K

$16.7K CA$23.5K

-51.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.68 ₱2,057

$53.5 CA$75.7

-38.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,214

$35.84 CA$50.7

-46.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 ₱4,797

$82.2 CA$116

-7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.1 ₱3,597

$90.6 CA$128

-36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₱16.5K

$1,148 CA$1,622

-77.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ₱12.0K

$1,267 CA$1,792

-84.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ₱32.9K

$1,794 CA$2,537

-70.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₱22.7K

$1,470 CA$2,078

-75.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,393 ₱150.6K

$4,187 CA$5,919

-42.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 ₱61.5K

$3,561 CA$5,034

-72.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$347 ₱21.9K

$2,970 CA$4,198

-88.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.99

44.29%

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

Last update for Tacloban: October 11, 2026

Last update for St. Thomas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tacloban

$202 26.1%

St. Thomas

$387 15.9% 91.9% $186

Accommodation & Living

Tacloban

$191 24.7%

St. Thomas

$1.3K 52.1% 563% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacloban

$162 20.9%

St. Thomas

$222 9.1% 37.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Tacloban

$83 10.8%

St. Thomas

$118 4.9% 41.5% $35

Eating Out

Tacloban

$77 9.9%

St. Thomas

$294 12.1% 283% $218

Sport & Entertainment

Tacloban

$44 5.7%

St. Thomas

$65 2.7% 47.4% $21

Getting Around

Tacloban

$14 1.8%

St. Thomas

$78 3.2% 455% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Tacloban and $1,148 in St. Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 755% 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: $16.00 in Tacloban vs $63.0 in St. Thomas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $387 per month, with Tacloban cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🇨🇦 St. Thomas

🕒 Local time

03:24 3:24 AM

15:24 3:24 PM

12 h behind Tacloban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,089

38,909

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tacloban St. Thomas 13,440 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacloban
St. Thomas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Tacloban and St. Thomas differ by about 215% in total monthly costs ($773 vs $2,432 including rent). Tacloban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 755% lower in St. Thomas. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $263 in Tacloban versus $1,148 in St. Thomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $134 in Tacloban versus $399 in St. Thomas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in St. Thomas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $773 in Tacloban versus $2,432 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 215% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.