Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valenzuela and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Valenzuela: $754 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Valenzuela
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Valenzuela Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Valenzuela

🇵🇭 Philippines

$754

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $754 per month in Valenzuela vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Valenzuela $754
Manila $948

A couple spends around $1,106 per month in Valenzuela vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Valenzuela $1,106
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $1,459 per month in Valenzuela vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Valenzuela $1,459
Manila $2,068

Valenzuela is about 21% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Valenzuela and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Valenzuela 44% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 ₱253

$5.46 ₱344

-26.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.85 ₱1,061

$26.93 ₱1,695

-37.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.74 ₱173

$3.90 ₱246

-29.74%

Cappuccino

$2.00 ₱126

$2.62 ₱165

-23.66%

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

$0.60 ₱37.79

$1.36 ₱85.5

-55.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.10

$0.83 ₱52.3

-59.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ₱78.4

$1.22 ₱76.9

1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱101

$2.32 ₱146

-31.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.96 ₱123

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱69.8

$1.42 ₱89.1

-21.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱60.8

$1.04 ₱65.4

-6.73%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.23 ₱140

-8.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.15 ₱324

$7.70 ₱485

-33.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ₱218

$4.91 ₱309

-29.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.11 ₱448

$7.12 ₱448

-0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 ₱154

$3.23 ₱204

-24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.6

$1.92 ₱121

-20.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱151

$2.93 ₱184

-18.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.1

$1.79 ₱113

-40.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 ₱107

$2.32 ₱146

-26.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱109

$2.73 ₱172

-37.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ₱39.50

$2.12 ₱133

-70.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.40

$0.59 ₱37.25

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 ₱162

$3.18 ₱200

-19.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 ₱511

$9.81 ₱618

-17.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.2

$1.34 ₱84.1

-32.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱128

$2.00 ₱126

1.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.67

$0.47 ₱29.47

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.10 ₱699

$12.56 ₱791

-11.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₱38.64

$0.73 ₱46.07

-16.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.49

$0.21 ₱13.20

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱117

$1.87 ₱118

-0.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₱76.4

$1.28 ₱80.6

-5.47%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

-1.47%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

0.87%

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

$142 ₱8,959

$124 ₱7,822

14.53%

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

$16.14 ₱1,016

$15.73 ₱990

2.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.55 ₱1,986

$24.40 ₱1,536

29.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.02 ₱2,016

$43.31 ₱2,727

-26.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 ₱323

$5.79 ₱365

-11.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 ₱394

$6.76 ₱425

-7.40%

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

$133 ₱8,370

$630 ₱39.7K

-78.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,524 ₱473.7K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-16.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.41 ₱1,852

$58.3 ₱3,668

-49.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.37 ₱1,219

$27.34 ₱1,721

-29.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ₱4,440

$75.6 ₱4,758

-6.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.2 ₱3,539

$56.6 ₱3,564

-0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₱18.5K

$536 ₱33.8K

-45.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ₱11.1K

$284 ₱17.9K

-37.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ₱27.8K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-76.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₱19.7K

$654 ₱41.2K

-52.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,066 ₱130.1K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-53.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 ₱60.1K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-62.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 ₱37.6K

$467 ₱29.4K

27.89%

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 Valenzuela: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valenzuela

$190 25.2%

Manila

$164 17.3% 13.5% $26

Accommodation & Living

Valenzuela

$176 23.4%

Manila

$284 29.9% 61.1% $108

Groceries & Markets

Valenzuela

$172 22.9%

Manila

$222 23.5% 29% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Valenzuela

$79 10.5%

Manila

$98 10.3% 24.1% $19

Eating Out

Valenzuela

$78 10.3%

Manila

$106 11.2% 37% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Valenzuela

$45 5.9%

Manila

$57 6% 27.6% $12

Getting Around

Valenzuela

$14 1.9%

Manila

$16 1.7% 16.4% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Valenzuela versus $536 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 run about 28% higher in Valenzuela, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Valenzuela versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $222 – making Valenzuela the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Valenzuela

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

Same time as Valenzuela

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

714,978

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Valenzuela Manila 11 km

From you

Valenzuela
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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

Valenzuela vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $754 in Valenzuela, $948 in Manila – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,130 per month in Valenzuela and $1,422 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Valenzuela, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $754 in Valenzuela and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 26%.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Valenzuela. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Valenzuela, where all-in costs run around $754, than in Manila at $948. In Valenzuela it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $754 in Valenzuela to $948 in Manila. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Valenzuela. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.