Philippines cost of living

Rent and everyday costs across the 11 priced Philippines cities we track, in USD.

Cheapest priced cityGeneral Santos$444 essentials/mo
Priciest priced cityMetro Manila$689 essentials/mo
Average 1-bed outside centre$213across 11 priced cities
General Santos vs the worldCheaper than 479 of the 535 priced cities we trackessentials, single person, USD
Tourist stay signalNo visa run needed. Unlike Thailand-style hops, the Philippines lets you extend in-country up to the cap without ever leaving.as of 2026-07

City-by-city monthly costs

Essentials are sourced rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining, and local transport. They are not a full lifestyle budget.

General Santos$444104.6 city$115$181$107$95$111$16n/a
Iloilo City$495102.8 city$214$270$108$66$97$10$206
Dumaguete$50797.8 city$212$239$101$83$95$16$287
Bacolod City$536102.7 city$187$276$111$57$173$8$214
Puerto Princesa$546101.6 city$205$293$101$117$90$33$231
Davao City$550105.2 city$175$281$106$114$141$14$217
Baguio City$558100.3 city$200$411$92$86$167$13$185
Angeles City$57897.4 city$201$350$89$74$204$10$299
Cagayan de Oro$578104.8 city$231$393$91$75$171$10$317
Cebu City$682102 city$309$504$112$97$151$13$347
Metro Manila$689102.9 metro$290$539$116$124$146$13$469

Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.

Need the full Philippines model?

Open the gated deep-dive for city shortlist, cost detail, weather, visa, tax, dating-market signals, and subregion rankings.

Unlock Philippines deep-dive
Metro Manila, Philippines

Photo: jopetsy, CC BY 2.0.