Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zamboanga and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $734 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
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Zamboanga Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Zamboanga vs $945 in Manila, rent included.

Zamboanga $734
Manila $945

A couple spends around $1,106 per month in Zamboanga vs $1,572 in Manila, rent included.

Zamboanga $1,106
Manila $1,572

A family of three spends $1,478 per month in Zamboanga vs $2,199 in Manila, rent included.

Zamboanga $1,478
Manila $2,199

Zamboanga is about 22% cheaper than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zamboanga and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Zamboanga 46% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.31 ₱83.6

$5.34 ₱341

-75.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.01 ₱1,023

$26.46 ₱1,691

-39.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.32 ₱212

$3.93 ₱251

-15.52%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ₱128

$2.53 ₱162

-20.55%

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

$0.84 ₱53.6

$1.35 ₱86.2

-37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱25.33

$0.82 ₱52.2

-51.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ₱91.6

$1.14 ₱72.8

25.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱130

$2.38 ₱152

-14.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱114

$1.91 ₱122

-6.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱90.1

$1.44 ₱92.1

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ₱70.2

$0.94 ₱60.3

17.02%

Eggs

$1.50 ₱95.9

$2.30 ₱147

-34.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 ₱651

$7.41 ₱473

37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 ₱255

$4.61 ₱295

-13.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.28 ₱210

$6.65 ₱425

-50.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₱198

$3.29 ₱211

-5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ₱75.4

$1.80 ₱115

-34.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 ₱238

$3.00 ₱192

24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱72.5

$1.76 ₱112

-35.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 ₱78.2

$2.22 ₱142

-45.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 ₱160

$2.66 ₱170

-6.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ₱55.2

$2.14 ₱137

-59.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.53

$0.53 ₱34.12

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.66 ₱170

$3.06 ₱196

-13.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.06 ₱260

$9.57 ₱611

-57.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₱82.1

$1.30 ₱83.3

-1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱125

$1.99 ₱127

-2.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.30

$0.40 ₱25.83

-47.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.20 ₱907

$12.75 ₱815

11.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱48.14

$0.72 ₱45.97

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.15

$0.23 ₱14.72

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ₱104

$1.84 ₱117

-11.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ₱64.1

$1.27 ₱81.0

-21.26%

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

$20.0K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-3.39%

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

$17.5K ₱1.1M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

-6.01%

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

$118 ₱7,556

$120 ₱7,641

-1.10%

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

$15.99 ₱1,021

$15.69 ₱1,003

1.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.02 ₱3,004

$23.60 ₱1,508

99.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.45 ₱2,265

$42.57 ₱2,720

-16.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱330

$5.65 ₱361

-8.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 ₱331

$6.50 ₱415

-20.15%

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

$129 ₱8,256

$599 ₱38.3K

-78.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,770 ₱496.5K

$8,818 ₱563.4K

-11.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.17 ₱2,056

$56.7 ₱3,621

-43.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.70 ₱1,323

$27.40 ₱1,751

-24.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 ₱4,424

$76.4 ₱4,878

-9.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.4 ₱3,536

$55.5 ₱3,546

-0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₱16.2K

$526 ₱33.6K

-51.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₱10.7K

$297 ₱19.0K

-43.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 ₱21.3K

$1,887 ₱120.5K

-82.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$816 ₱52.1K

-57.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,716 ₱173.6K

$3,968 ₱253.5K

-31.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 ₱70.4K

$2,366 ₱151.2K

-53.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$186 ₱11.9K

$466 ₱29.8K

-60.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.43

-6.86%

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

Last update for Zamboanga: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zamboanga

$182 24.8%

Manila

$216 22.9% 18.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zamboanga

$181 24.7%

Manila

$159 16.8% 12.4% $22

Accommodation & Living

Zamboanga

$167 22.7%

Manila

$297 31.4% 78% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Zamboanga

$80 10.9%

Manila

$97 10.3% 21.7% $17

Eating Out

Zamboanga

$61 8.3%

Manila

$104 11% 71.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Zamboanga

$46 6.3%

Manila

$56 5.9% 21.3% $9.8

Getting Around

Zamboanga

$17 2.3%

Manila

$16 1.7% 3.8% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $254 in Zamboanga 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 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Zamboanga versus $26 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $216 – making Zamboanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

Same time as Zamboanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Zamboanga Manila 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Zamboanga
Manila

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

Zamboanga vs Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $734 in Zamboanga, $945 in Manila – Zamboanga comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,100 per month in Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $734 in Zamboanga and $945 in Manila. That makes Zamboanga about 22% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Zamboanga – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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