Cost of living in Philippines

Summary of cost of living in Philippines

  • Family of four estimated monthly costs: Php170,792
  • Single person estimated monthly costs: Php89,113
  • 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.
Change the currency:
Food
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district Php286
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) Php229
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast Php125
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk Php122
12 eggs, large Php136
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes Php87
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese Php215
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples Php137
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes Php122
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket Php79
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality Php507
2 liters of coca-cola Php74
Bread for 2 people for 1 day Php39
Housing
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area Php84,274
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area Php39,909
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat Php5,673
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area Php26,566
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area Php15,487
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio Php5,075
Internet 8 mbps (1 month) Php1,536
40” flat screen tv Php22,695
Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) Php7,617
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) Php343
Hourly rate for cleaning help Php999
Clothes
1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) Php1,931
1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) Php1,578
1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) Php4,413
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes Php3,616
Transportation
Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new Php1,332,570
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas Php64
Monthly ticket public transport Php941
Personal Care
Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) Php263
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) Php1,132
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) -
1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) Php224
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) Php183
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) Php217
4 rolls of toilet paper Php79
Tube of toothpaste Php78
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city Php311
Entertainment
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub Php746
2 tickets to the movies Php823
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) Php8,198
Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert Php1,739
1 cocktail drink in downtown club Php237
Cappuccino in expat area of the city Php163
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) Php243
Ipad wi-fi 128gb Php50,403
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) Php34
1 month of gym membership in business district Php2,215
1 package of marlboro cigarettes Php176

Moving to Philippines with your children?

International Schools in Philippines

Map of Cost of Living in Philippines

loading...

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 68
3rd Davao 50

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 pack of marlboro cigarettes in Cagayan de Oro costs Php175 (7 days ago)

Make a different comparison:

Compare cost of living between cities:
vs