Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarlac City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $523 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$523

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $523 per month in Tarlac City vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Tarlac City $523
Manila $945

A couple spends around $801 per month in Tarlac City vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Tarlac City $801
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,080 per month in Tarlac City vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Tarlac City $1,080
Manila $2,199

Tarlac City is about 45% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tarlac City and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Tarlac City 62% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 ₱127

$5.34 ₱341

-62.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.94 ₱506

$26.46 ₱1,686

-69.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.67 ₱170

$3.93 ₱251

-32.06%

Cappuccino

$1.82 ₱116

$2.53 ₱161

-28.06%

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

$0.48 ₱30.74

$1.35 ₱86.0

-64.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.16

$0.82 ₱52.1

-63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ₱60.7

$1.14 ₱72.6

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱100

$2.38 ₱152

-33.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.91 ₱121

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱72.1

$1.44 ₱91.8

-21.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.1

$0.94 ₱60.1

7.45%

Eggs

$1.92 ₱123

$2.30 ₱147

-16.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.95 ₱315

$7.41 ₱472

-33.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.68 ₱171

$4.61 ₱294

-41.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 ₱405

$6.65 ₱424

-4.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 ₱100

$3.29 ₱210

-52.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.5

$1.80 ₱114

-16.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ₱128

$3.00 ₱191

-33.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$1.76 ₱112

-42.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₱109

$2.22 ₱141

-22.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₱75.5

$2.66 ₱169

-55.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ₱41.82

$2.14 ₱136

-69.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.34

$0.53 ₱34.03

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱189

$3.06 ₱195

-2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.72 ₱237

$9.57 ₱610

-61.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱57.0

$1.30 ₱83.1

-31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₱97.1

$1.99 ₱127

-23.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.32

$0.40 ₱25.76

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.05 ₱513

$12.75 ₱812

-36.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.51

$0.72 ₱45.85

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.94

$0.23 ₱14.68

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ₱82.8

$1.84 ₱117

-29.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱71.0

$1.27 ₱80.8

-12.60%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

2.51%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

1.82%

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

$87.4 ₱5,568

$120 ₱7,620

-26.93%

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

$5.34 ₱340

$15.69 ₱1,000

-65.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.23 ₱1,480

$23.60 ₱1,504

-1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.36 ₱2,508

$42.57 ₱2,713

-7.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 ₱1,014

$5.65 ₱360

181.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 ₱326

$6.50 ₱414

-21.38%

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

$130 ₱8,276

$599 ₱38.2K

-78.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₱669.4K

$8,818 ₱561.9K

19.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.72 ₱1,830

$56.7 ₱3,611

-49.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.79 ₱1,198

$27.40 ₱1,746

-31.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 ₱3,948

$76.4 ₱4,865

-18.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.50 ₱3,027

$55.5 ₱3,537

-14.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$87.2 ₱5,558

$526 ₱33.5K

-83.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.5 ₱4,495

$297 ₱18.9K

-76.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.8K

$1,887 ₱120.2K

-86.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ₱10.4K

$816 ₱52.0K

-80.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$370 ₱23.6K

$3,968 ₱252.9K

-90.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$284 ₱18.1K

$2,366 ₱150.8K

-88.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$208 ₱13.3K

$466 ₱29.7K

-55.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.43

-9.15%

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

Last update for Tarlac City: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tarlac City

$148 28.4%

Manila

$216 22.9% 45.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tarlac City

$116 22.2%

Manila

$159 16.8% 37% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Tarlac City

$71 13.5%

Manila

$97 10.3% 37.5% $27

Accommodation & Living

Tarlac City

$71 13.5%

Manila

$297 31.4% 321% $226

Eating Out

Tarlac City

$57 10.9%

Manila

$104 11% 83.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Tarlac City

$50 9.5%

Manila

$56 5.9% 12.1% $6

Getting Around

Tarlac City

$11 2.1%

Manila

$16 1.7% 49.7% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $87 in Tarlac 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 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8 in Tarlac City versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $216 – making Tarlac City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

Same time as Tarlac City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

385,398

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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Monthly costs with rent: $523 in Tarlac City, $945 in Manila – Tarlac City comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $784 per month in Tarlac 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 Tarlac City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $87 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $523 in Tarlac City and $945 in Manila. That makes Tarlac City about 45% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Tarlac City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tarlac City, where all-in costs run around $523, than in Manila at $945. In Tarlac City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tarlac City – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Tarlac 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.