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: $2,626 in United States versus $704 in Philippines.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $1,077 in Philippines.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in United States versus $1,450 in Philippines.

Living in United States is roughly 273% more expensive than in Philippines on average.

United States (90% above) and Philippines (49% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United States: monthly costs span $986 to $5,298, compared to $376–$1,237 in Philippines. City choice carries more weight in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$4.06 ₱254

388.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$20.70 ₱1,298

280.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$3.25 ₱204

275.08%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$2.30 ₱144

143.04%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$0.70 ₱43.70

297.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.36 ₱22.74

505.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$1.32 ₱82.5

343.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$1.98 ₱124

305.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.73 ₱109

-38.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.18 ₱74.2

211.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$0.89 ₱55.9

423.60%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$1.94 ₱122

116.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$7.16 ₱449

78.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$4.21 ₱264

194.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$7.13 ₱447

137.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.88 ₱181

81.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.37 ₱85.9

21.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.46 ₱154

76.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.50 ₱94.0

230.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.21 ₱139

27.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.59 ₱163

20.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.38 ₱86.7

58.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.68 ₱42.52

232.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 $10.35

$2.92 ₱183

254.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$6.32 ₱396

134.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.13 ₱70.8

84.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.70 ₱107

114.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.25 ₱15.66

852.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$12.85 ₱805

401.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$0.78 ₱49.18

353.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.23 ₱14.47

708.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$1.87 ₱117

1522.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.07 ₱67.2

-6.54%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

68.76%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$19.6K ₱1.2M

31.84%

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

$222 $222

$104 ₱6,488

114.68%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$14.16 ₱888

331.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$26.86 ₱1,684

177.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 $44.49

$30.78 ₱1,930

44.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 $22.35

$5.74 ₱360

289.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$5.42 ₱340

177.31%

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

$1,431 $1,431

$139 ₱8,727

927.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$5,840 ₱366.1K

343.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$44.63 ₱2,798

20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$24.77 ₱1,553

75.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$68.8 ₱4,311

33.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$61.0 ₱3,823

86.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$322 ₱20.2K

407.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$184 ₱11.5K

623.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 $2,606

$657 ₱41.2K

296.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$353 ₱22.2K

524.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$3,145 ₱197.2K

5.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,653 $2,653

$1,417 ₱88.8K

87.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 $4,306

$320 ₱20.1K

1245.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

7.17

-13.39%

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

Last update for United States: September 7, 2026

Last update for Philippines: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,604 in United States, $250 in Philippines. Capital cities: $1,360 in Columbia, TN vs $534 in Manila.

National salary averages: $4,526 in United States, $294 in Philippines. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 542% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 317% more in United States.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 1439% 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 $807 per month in Philippines and $3,142 in United States, there's a 290% 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.