Cost of living in Philippines

Summary of cost of living in Philippines

  • Family of four estimated monthly costs: Php122,892
  • Single person estimated monthly costs: Php56,186
  • WARNING!  These estimates are based on data that may have some inconsistencies at the moment. They already provide a decent estimate but they are not currently bullet-proof.
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Food
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district Php245
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) Php206
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast Php132
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk Php112
12 eggs, large Php108
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes Php89
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese Php179
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples Php168
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes Php104
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket Php64
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality Php397
2 liters of coca-cola Php87
Bread for 2 people for 1 day Php53
Housing
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area Php37,823
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area Php30,442
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat Php5,658
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area Php26,810
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area Php16,268
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio Php3,698
Internet 8 mbps (1 month) Php1,172
40” flat screen tv Php20,706
Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) Php5,329
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) Php433
Hourly rate for cleaning help Php755
Clothes
1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) Php2,273
1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) Php1,572
1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) Php4,144
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes Php3,659
Transportation
Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new Php1,319,830
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas Php60
Monthly ticket public transport Php810
Personal Care
Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) Php217
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) Php532
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) Php1,632
1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) Php257
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) Php165
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) Php208
4 rolls of toilet paper Php81
Tube of toothpaste Php87
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city Php279
Entertainment
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub Php637
2 tickets to the movies Php603
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) Php20,000
Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert Php1,554
1 cocktail drink in downtown club Php428
Cappuccino in expat area of the city Php168
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) Php75
Ipad wi-fi 128gb Php19,960
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) Php8
1 month of gym membership in business district Php2,505
1 package of marlboro cigarettes Php155

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Map of Cost of Living in Philippines

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This map shows only the top cities in Philippines. We also have on this page a list of all the cities available in Expatistan:
List of all the cities available in Expatistan

The color of each marker corresponds with the cost of living in the city red markers show more expensive cities green ones show cheaper cities
Moving the mouse on top of a city will show its name and the Cost of Living Index of that city.

What is the Cost of Living Index? To calculate each city's Price Index value, we start by assigning a value of 100 to a central reference city (that happens to be Prague). Once the reference point has been established, the Price Index value of every other city in the database is calculated by comparing their cost of living to the cost of living in Prague.
Therefore, if a city has a Price Index of 134, that means that living there is 34% more expensive than living in Prague.

Cost of Living Ranking in Philippines

(top cities by data quality)

Ranking City Price Index *
1st San Juan, La Union 102
2nd Manila 63
3rd Davao 51

Price Index:

To calculate each city's Price Index value, we start by assigning a value of 100 to a central reference city (that happens to be Prague). Once the reference point has been established, the Price Index value of every other city in the database is calculated by comparing their cost of living to the cost of living in Prague.
Therefore, if a city has a Price Index of 134, that means that living there is 34% more expensive than living in Prague.

Prices recently added

  • 1 liter of gasoline in Manila costs Php50 (about 17 hours ago)
  • Internet connection 300 mbps, 1 month in Manila costs Php2,099 (4 days ago)
  • Hourly rate for domestic cleaning help in Manila costs Php567 (4 days ago)
  • Laundry detergent, 3 liters in Manila costs Php700 (4 days ago)
  • Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) in Manila costs Php3,000 (4 days ago)
  • 40′ flat screen tv in Manila costs Php12,000 (4 days ago)
  • Internet 8 mbps, 1 month in Manila costs Php999 (4 days ago)
  • Utilities (studio), monthly for 1 person in 45 m2 in Manila costs Php10,000 (4 days ago)
  • Monthly rent - 45 m2 furnished studio in normal area in Manila costs Php12,000 (4 days ago)
  • Monthly rent - 45 m2 furnished studio in expensive area in Manila costs Php15,000 (4 days ago)

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