Cost of Living in Manila, Philippines

RESTAURANTS

If you’re eager to try some local food at Manila’s many restaurants, you can find good restaurants catering to international tastes.

Street food is also popular but many say that it’s not as good as in places like Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Shibuya, or Singapore.

Of course, there are many high-end fancy restaurants and they’re not cheap, but you can also eat at an inexpensive restaurant for less than 5$.

MARKETS

Cooking at home is cheaper probably by 40 to 50% than eating outside.

You can shop at many supermarkets or the Robinsons mall and if you really want to splurge, you’ll need around 500$ a month.

There are also small bakeries in the neighborhood that sell cheap bread and sari-sari stores (variety stores) where you can buy goods in smaller packages.

TRANSPORTATION

There are various methods of transportation available.

Taxis are quite common in business districts.

Buses are everywhere.

There are also Jeepneys, which operate fixed routes like buses and usually have very cheap fares.

You can rent a car and generally rental cars come with drivers.

There is a light rail system but it’s not comprehensive.

It only goes down a few of the main roads.

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Utilities are just ridiculously expensive in Manila.

You can easily spend around 100$ per month.

That would include using air conditioners for around eight hours per day.

Pure lights, gadget charging, TV, and hot water in an apartment of around 85m2 will cost you over 130$.

The water bill is around 5$ per month.

These days electricity is very reliable.

In the mid-’90s brownouts were very common but these days brownouts are very rare.

SPORTS & LEISURE

Manila, as the capital of this huge country, is literally filled with cinemas, theaters, and other leisure opportunities, and a ticket for a movie in a cinema will cost you around 6$.

Indulging in sports and fitness is more expensive, like in most countries.

If you want a gym or a fitness club membership, it will amount to around 51.66$ (much more than what is considered to be the country’s average).

CLOTHING & SHOES

Major cities like Manila are literally brimming with large malls.

Malls are everywhere.

Every few years it seems as though a gigantic new mall is built, rivaling the last gigantic mall.

They also offer great shopping opportunities since the prices are somewhat low.

For example, you can buy Levi’s jeans for around 40$, while a pair of running shoes from brands like Nike cost around 75$.

Lighter pieces of clothing like shirts and summer dresses are around 30$.

RENT PER MONTH

Rent for an apartment is much higher in Manila than in most other places in the Philippines.

But if you are alone, you might prefer to stay in a boarding house or lodging house.

Depending on the part of the city, you can find an apartment for 200$, or for 500$ – if you have your mind set on living in the city center.

For a larger apartment for the whole family, you’ll have to pay at least 1500$.