Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and the Philippines

Name: Philippines
Address: PH

For one person, living is cheaper in the Philippines: $771 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in the Philippines
Learn more

Philippines Living Index

Jump to prices

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in the Philippines

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $771 in the Philippines.

United States $2,734
Philippines $771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,185 in the Philippines.

United States $3,985
Philippines $1,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $1,599 in the Philippines.

United States $5,235
Philippines $1,599

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $429–$1,230 in the Philippines. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 255% more expensive than in the Philippines on average.

The United States (101% above) and the Philippines (43% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$3.86 ₱246

418.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$21.54 ₱1,374

271.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$3.37 ₱215

250.15%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.18 ₱139

154.59%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.70 ₱44.51

280.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.36 ₱22.70

502.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.23 ₱78.2

397.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.90 ₱121

317.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.72 ₱110

-39.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.21 ₱77.4

196.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$0.85 ₱54.4

431.76%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$1.92 ₱123

122.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$7.17 ₱458

84.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$4.07 ₱260

209.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$6.78 ₱432

159.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.72 ₱173

94.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.35 ₱86.3

25.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.38 ₱152

86.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.42 ₱90.7

235.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.16 ₱138

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.52 ₱161

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.34 ₱85.2

64.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.63 ₱40.00

273.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$2.74 ₱175

300.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$6.41 ₱409

134.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.16 ₱74.1

77.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.75 ₱111

116.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.24 ₱15.33

708.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$13.17 ₱841

350.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.76 ₱48.22

371.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.23 ₱14.68

717.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$1.91 ₱122

1462.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.09 ₱69.6

-6.42%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

39.50%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

35.71%

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

$218 $218

$101 ₱6,429

116.32%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$13.64 ₱870

357.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$26.68 ₱1,703

179.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$29.58 ₱1,888

41.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$5.72 ₱365

298.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$5.49 ₱350

167.76%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$140 ₱8,947

962.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$5,614 ₱358.2K

349.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$42.27 ₱2,697

28.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$23.59 ₱1,506

81.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$67.6 ₱4,311

39.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$58.4 ₱3,725

94.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$353 ₱22.6K

369.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$218 ₱13.9K

517.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$732 ₱46.7K

266.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$424 ₱27.0K

411.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$3,393 ₱216.5K

-3.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,818 ₱116.0K

36.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$307 ₱19.6K

1298.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

7.2

-9.03%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for the Philippines: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Philippines

$218 28.3% 83.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Philippines

$187 24.3% 54.9% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Philippines

$141 18.3% 60.2% $214

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Philippines

$81 10.5% 75.2% $247

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Philippines

$86 11.2% 37% $51

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Philippines

$16 2.1% 80% $64

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Philippines

$41 5.3% 43.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $261 in the Philippines. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $526 in Manila.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $283 in the Philippines. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 521% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 317% more in the United States.

Public transport is 385% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 16 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇵🇭 Philippines

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

06:54 6:54 AM

12 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

109,035,343

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.81 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

United States Philippines 13,700 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Philippines

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

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

At $771 per month in the Philippines and $2,734 in the United States, the Philippines comes out about 72% cheaper. 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 cheaper in the Philippines: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $261 in the Philippines. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In the Philippines, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the 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: the Philippines wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.