Cost of living in Philippines

Summary of cost of living in Philippines

  • Family of four estimated monthly costs: Php153,332
  • Single person estimated monthly costs: Php86,420
  • Cost of living in Philippines is cheaper than in 69% of countries in Asia (9 out of 13)
  • Cost of living in Philippines is cheaper than in 85% of countries in the World (64 out of 75)
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Food
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district Php228
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) Php202
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast Php129
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk Php95
12 eggs, large Php124
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes Php94
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese Php196
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples Php160
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes Php106
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket Php67
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality Php528
2 liters of coca-cola Php105
Bread for 2 people for 1 day Php72
Housing
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area Php86,892
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area Php41,821
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat Php5,676
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area Php30,041
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area Php16,267
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio Php3,131
Internet 8 mbps (1 month) Php1,923
40” flat screen tv Php18,568
Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) Php4,333
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) Php222
Hourly rate for cleaning help Php229
Clothes
1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) Php2,293
1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) Php1,624
1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) Php3,974
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes Php3,754
Transportation
Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new Php1,178,650
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas Php76
Monthly ticket public transport Php718
Personal Care
Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) Php426
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) Php1,372
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) Php1,002
1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) Php205
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) Php185
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) Php158
4 rolls of toilet paper Php108
Tube of toothpaste Php100
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city Php302
Entertainment
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub Php1,184
2 tickets to the movies Php676
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) Php1,612
Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert Php1,628
1 cocktail drink in downtown club Php590
Cappuccino in expat area of the city Php168
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) Php79
Ipad wi-fi 128gb -
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) Php8
1 month of gym membership in business district Php2,774
1 package of marlboro cigarettes Php149

Moving to Philippines with your children?

International Schools in Philippines

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 101
2nd Manila 63
3rd Davao 49

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.

Are you moving to Philippines? Do you know how much money you will need there to maintain your current standard of living?

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Prices recently added

  • 1 pack of marlboro cigarettes in Manila costs Php156 (6 days ago)
  • Public transport in Manila costs Php900 (7 days ago)
  • 1 kg of potatoes in Manila costs Php60 (8 days ago)

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