Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuguegarao and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuguegarao: $570 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Tuguegarao
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Tuguegarao Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$570

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $570 per month in Tuguegarao vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Tuguegarao $570
Manila $945

A couple spends around $909 per month in Tuguegarao vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Tuguegarao $909
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,249 per month in Tuguegarao vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Tuguegarao $1,249
Manila $2,199

Tuguegarao is about 40% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tuguegarao and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Tuguegarao 58% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.58 ₱101

$5.34 ₱342

-70.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.12 ₱1,032

$26.46 ₱1,693

-39.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.68 ₱171

$3.93 ₱252

-31.81%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₱111

$2.53 ₱162

-31.23%

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

$0.42 ₱27.01

$1.35 ₱86.4

-68.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.68

$0.82 ₱52.3

-65.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₱65.2

$1.14 ₱73.0

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₱97.7

$2.38 ₱152

-35.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱105

$1.91 ₱122

-14.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.5

$1.44 ₱92.2

-20.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₱43.35

$0.94 ₱60.4

-27.66%

Eggs

$1.98 ₱127

$2.30 ₱147

-13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.92 ₱315

$7.41 ₱474

-33.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ₱209

$4.61 ₱295

-29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 ₱508

$6.65 ₱425

19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₱141

$3.29 ₱211

-33.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.5

$1.80 ₱115

-16.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$3.00 ₱192

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$1.76 ₱112

-42.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.22 ₱142

-22.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱111

$2.66 ₱170

-34.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱39.30

$2.14 ₱137

-71.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.22

$0.53 ₱34.17

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 ₱118

$3.06 ₱196

-39.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 ₱540

$9.57 ₱612

-11.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.6

$1.30 ₱83.4

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱129

$1.99 ₱127

1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.18

$0.40 ₱25.87

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.38 ₱856

$12.75 ₱816

4.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.91

$0.72 ₱46.04

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.42

$0.23 ₱14.74

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱118

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₱68.9

$1.27 ₱81.1

-14.96%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

3.00%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.45%

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

$31.51 ₱2,016

$120 ₱7,653

-73.65%

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

$16.94 ₱1,084

$15.69 ₱1,004

7.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.96 ₱1,469

$23.60 ₱1,510

-2.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 ₱2,021

$42.57 ₱2,724

-25.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.24 ₱336

$5.65 ₱362

-7.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱317

$6.50 ₱416

-23.85%

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

$132 ₱8,422

$599 ₱38.3K

-78.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱683.4K

$8,818 ₱564.3K

21.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.57 ₱1,828

$56.7 ₱3,627

-49.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.15 ₱1,225

$27.40 ₱1,753

-30.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.08 ₱2,501

$76.4 ₱4,886

-48.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.29 ₱1,491

$55.5 ₱3,552

-58.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 ₱15.7K

$526 ₱33.7K

-53.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.8K

$297 ₱19.0K

-43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₱30.8K

$1,887 ₱120.7K

-74.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 ₱22.3K

$816 ₱52.2K

-57.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 ₱158.7K

$3,968 ₱253.9K

-37.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₱70.6K

$2,366 ₱151.4K

-53.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 ₱12.9K

$466 ₱29.8K

-56.79%

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 Tuguegarao: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tuguegarao

$170 29.8%

Manila

$216 22.9% 27.1% $46

Accommodation & Living

Tuguegarao

$169 29.6%

Manila

$297 31.4% 75.6% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tuguegarao

$71 12.5%

Manila

$159 16.8% 123% $87

Eating Out

Tuguegarao

$52 9.2%

Manila

$104 11% 98.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Tuguegarao

$50 8.7%

Manila

$97 10.3% 96.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Tuguegarao

$41 7.3%

Manila

$56 5.9% 33.9% $14

Getting Around

Tuguegarao

$16 2.9%

Manila

$16 1.7% 0.2% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $246 in Tuguegarao 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 $16 in Tuguegarao versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $216 – making Tuguegarao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

Same time as Tuguegarao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,334

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 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

Tuguegarao vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $570 in Tuguegarao, $945 in Manila – Tuguegarao comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $856 per month in Tuguegarao 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 Tuguegarao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $246 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $570 in Tuguegarao and $945 in Manila. That makes Tuguegarao about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $570 in Tuguegarao and $945 in Manila, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tuguegarao – 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 Tuguegarao. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.