Manila Budget Calculator
- Housing + utilities $836 45%
- Food & drink $598 32%
- Getting around $114 6%
- Work + connectivity $181 10%
- Health, gym, fun $132 7%
These are mid-market figures. Paying with a typical bank card in Manila adds roughly 3% on top, about $56 a month on this budget. Find the best travel card for Manila →
A solo digital-nomad month, per person, side by side with places in the region.
A month here is about 66% of a mid-size US city.
See the cost breakdown
- Rent (1-bed) 1× 1-bed $741
- Utilities + internet flat estimate $95
- Eating out (local) 32 × $4.20 $134
- Eating out (mid-range) 16 × $12 $188
- Groceries (cooking in) 32 meals × $2.05 $66
- Coffees 45 × $4.12 $185
- Beers out 10 × $2.47 $25
- Getting around scooter + 12 taxis $114
- Coworking $165/mo $165
- SIM / data 7-day SIM × 4 $16
- Gym $33/mo $33
- Massages 2 × $8.23 $16
- Health (amortised) GP + dentist ÷ 12 $2.33
- Nightlife / buffer flat estimate $80
Figures assume a long-term stay (30+ days) and cover rent, food, transport, internet and everyday spending. Flights, visas and insurance aren't included. Rent, utilities and internet are shared across the household; everything else is per person. Rent, food and transport use the tracked prices below; utilities, the buffer and amortised health are modelled estimates.
Updated August 2026
Average prices in Manila
A comfortable mid-range stay in Manila usually runs about $60-120 per day, with most of your budget going toward accommodation and getting around the city's traffic. Day-to-day costs are reasonable, but hotel prices can jump sharply around Christmas, New Year and major holidays when domestic travel peaks.
Rent in Manila by area
Rent is the biggest lever, and Manila's districts vary widely. These run from pricier to cheaper than the metro average, using our own estimates from local listings:
- BGC (Taguig) Pricier Bonifacio Global City is the modern, planned district: walkable, safe and full of towers, with the highest condo rents in Manila. Most expat nomads gravitate here.
- Makati (Salcedo / Legazpi) Pricier Makati is the long-standing business and expat center, especially the Salcedo and Legazpi Village pockets. Rents are high, a little below BGC, with more life on the streets.
- Ortigas Center Mid Ortigas is the third major business district, cheaper than Makati and BGC while still central and full of malls and offices. Good value if you work nearby.
- Mandaluyong / Pasig Cheaper Mandaluyong and parts of Pasig sit right beside the business districts with noticeably cheaper condos, which is why a lot of commuters base here.
- Quezon City Cheaper Quezon City is enormous and far more local, with universities, food scenes and rents well below the CBDs. Traffic into Makati or BGC is the catch.
- Parañaque / Las Piñas Cheaper The southern stretch toward Parañaque and Las Piñas has the lowest rents on this list and quick airport access, in exchange for a longer haul to the main business districts.
Is Manila expensive?
Manila is cheap for local food, transport and help like cleaners or drivers, and close to home prices for condos in the prime districts, imported goods and mall dining. The gap between a $3 carinderia plate and a $20 mall dinner is what shifts your budget.
A comfortable month costs less than a mid-size US or Australian city, though Manila's prime-district rents are higher than most of Southeast Asia. It runs above Cebu and the rest of the country, which the Philippines cost of living page covers.
Sending money to Manila
If your income is abroad, you are converting to pesos for rent and daily spending. A weak rate plus a transfer fee can cost 3 to 5% each time, which adds up against the money you save on food and services.
Condo landlords usually want two months deposit plus one month advance, by bank transfer, so a cheap way to move money helps from day one. Check what you would receive today, then the full Manila money guide covers ATMs, cards and GCash.
What you'll receive today
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Paying rent, using ATMs, tapping a card? See the full Manila money guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How much do you need per month to live in Manila?
For one person, plan on about $860 for a basic setup, $1,860 for a comfortable digital-nomad month with a condo and coworking, and $3,130 for a high-rise-in-BGC lifestyle. Set your own household size, neighborhood and currency in the calculator above.
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Can you live in Manila on $1,000 a month?
Yes, if you rent outside BGC and Makati, eat mostly local food and use jeepneys and ride-hailing. It gets tight once you want a prime-district condo, mall dining and regular nights out.
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Is Manila cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper on rent, especially against BGC and Makati, and a bit calmer. Manila costs more but has the bigger job market, the best transport links and the widest choice of condos and restaurants.
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What costs do people forget when budgeting for Manila?
Health insurance and visa extensions are the usual misses. After that it is the prime-district rent premium, the two-to-three-month deposit, and how quickly mall and cafe spending adds up. Traffic also pushes people toward pricier central rent to cut the commute.
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Do you need a scooter in Manila?
Not really. The traffic is heavy and scooter rental is less common than elsewhere in the region, so most people get around by jeepney, the trains and Grab. The Basic and Digital Nomad settings budget a similar amount for getting around; Luxury leans on taxis and cars.