Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tagum City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $429 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$429

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tagum City 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 Tagum City and in Manila actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $429 per month in Tagum City vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Tagum City $429
Manila $945

A couple spends around $532 per month in Tagum City vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Tagum City $532
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $635 per month in Tagum City vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Tagum City $635
Manila $2,199

Tagum City is about 55% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tagum City and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Tagum City 69% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 ₱354

$5.34 ₱340

4.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.74 ₱812

$26.46 ₱1,685

-51.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ₱319

$3.93 ₱251

27.23%

Cappuccino

$2.21 ₱141

$2.53 ₱161

-12.65%

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

$1.35 ₱86.0

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.14 ₱72.6

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₱87.6

$2.38 ₱152

-42.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.91 ₱121

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

Eggs

$1.85 ₱118

$2.30 ₱147

-19.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱486

$6.65 ₱423

14.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.22 ₱396

$3.29 ₱210

89.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱609

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₱86.8

$1.30 ₱83.0

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.95

$0.40 ₱25.75

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.82

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.4

$1.27 ₱80.8

3.15%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

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

$54.2 ₱3,450

$120 ₱7,617

-54.70%

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

$7.88 ₱502

$15.69 ₱999

-49.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₱1,733

$23.60 ₱1,503

15.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.49 ₱1,496

$42.57 ₱2,711

-44.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

Cinema Ticket

$3.25 ₱207

$6.50 ₱414

-50.00%

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

$599 ₱38.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,609

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,745

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,863

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,535

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱10.1K

$526 ₱33.5K

-69.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 ₱7,995

$297 ₱18.9K

-57.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 ₱20.2K

$1,887 ₱120.2K

-83.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ₱12.9K

$466 ₱29.7K

-56.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

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

Last update for Tagum City: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tagum City

–

Manila

$297 31.4%

Groceries & Markets

Tagum City

–

Manila

$216 22.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagum City

–

Manila

$159 16.8%

Eating Out

Tagum City

–

Manila

$104 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Tagum City

–

Manila

$97 10.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Tagum City

–

Manila

$56 5.9%

Getting Around

Tagum City

–

Manila

$16 1.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $158 in Tagum City 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.

Salaries in Manila are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Tagum City versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $85 vs $216 – making Tagum City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

Same time as Tagum City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,202

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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Between locations

Tagum City Manila 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tagum City
Manila

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

Tagum City vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $429 in Tagum City, $945 in Manila – Tagum City comes out roughly 55% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $643 per month in Tagum City 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 Tagum City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $158 there versus $526 in Manila.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Tagum City and $26 in Manila. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $429 in Tagum City and $945 in Manila. That makes Tagum City about 55% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $429 in Tagum City and $945 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $429 in Tagum City to $945 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Tagum City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.