Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Philippines Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Philippines

Name: Philippines
Address: PH

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,642 in United States versus $758 in Philippines.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,185 in Philippines.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in United States versus $1,612 in Philippines.

Living in United States is roughly 249% more expensive than in Philippines on average.

United States (98% above) and Philippines (43% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United States: monthly costs span $1,335 to $5,182, compared to $488–$1,188 in Philippines. City choice carries more weight in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$4.05 ₱249

384.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$21.34 ₱1,314

253.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$3.58 ₱220

223.18%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$2.39 ₱147

118.41%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$0.72 ₱44.39

245.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.39 ₱23.96

428.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$1.31 ₱80.6

351.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$2.09 ₱129

241.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.79 ₱110

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.31 ₱80.7

171.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$0.96 ₱58.9

393.75%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$2.06 ₱127

110.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$7.74 ₱477

63.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$4.48 ₱276

174.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$7.59 ₱467

118.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.10 ₱191

66.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.46 ₱89.8

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.64 ₱162

68.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.60 ₱98.4

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.23 ₱137

31.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.65 ₱163

16.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.38 ₱85.2

60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.70 ₱43.38

221.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$3.00 ₱185

230.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$6.38 ₱393

139.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.20 ₱73.6

59.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.86 ₱115

92.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.28 ₱17.44

778.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$10.47 ₱645

517.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$0.83 ₱50.8

354.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.25 ₱15.22

584.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$2.68 ₱165

1022.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.18 ₱72.7

-18.64%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$22.8K ₱1.4M

31.14%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$21.8K ₱1.3M

20.17%

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

$210 $210

$109 ₱6,712

92.75%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$28.79 ₱1,772

95.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$29.81 ₱1,835

144.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 $45.39

$32.39 ₱1,994

40.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.60 $21.60

$5.47 ₱337

294.88%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 $14.04

$6.13 ₱377

129.04%

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

$1,377 $1,377

$107 ₱6,599

1185.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$4,444 ₱273.6K

403.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$45.83 ₱2,822

15.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$25.76 ₱1,586

64.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$73.9 ₱4,552

24.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$62.5 ₱3,846

81.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$319 ₱19.7K

452.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$179 ₱11.0K

716.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$663 ₱40.8K

329.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 $2,369

$359 ₱22.1K

560.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,364 $3,364

$3,103 ₱191.1K

8.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$1,461 ₱89.9K

82.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,378 $4,378

$328 ₱20.2K

1235.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

7.22

-9.83%

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

Last update for United States: July 12, 2026

Last update for Philippines: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $258 in Philippines. Capital cities: $1,625 in Washington, MI vs $486 in Manila.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $295 in Philippines. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 534% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 284% more in United States.

Public transport is 733% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 1425% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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

United States vs Philippines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $838 per month in Philippines and $3,259 in United States, there's a 289% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Philippines: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in Philippines across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Philippines, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Philippines wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.