Metro Manila at a glance
- Metro Manila is the most expensive of Philippines's 11 priced cities: $689 a month in essentials, 55% above General Santos at $444.
- The average net salary of $469 covers that 0.7×.
- 102.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at metro level.
- PM2.5 averages 14.5 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 11 Philippines cities we track, so every row says whether Metro Manila is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $689 | $550 | 1.25× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $290 | $205 | 1.41× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $539 | $293 | 1.84× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $116 | $106 | $10 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $124 | $86 | 1.44× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $146 | $146 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $13 | $13 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $469 | $259 | 1.81× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $678 | $422 | 1.61× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,941 | $631 | 3.08× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Metro Manila, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.68 | $3.89 | 1.46× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $25.95 | $19.46 | 1.33× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $4.05 | $4.05 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.50 | $2.43 | $0.07 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.18 | $1.26 | $0.08 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.76 | $2.06 | 1.34× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.45 | $0.70 | 2.07× as much |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.83 | $0.43 | 1.93× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.96 | $1.68 | $0.28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.39 | $1.17 | $0.22 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.03 | $0.93 | $0.10 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.25 | $1.98 | $0.27 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $7.91 | $7.91 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.06 | $4.32 | $0.74 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.34 | $2.70 | $0.64 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.84 | $1.30 | 1.42× as much |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.85 | $1.30 | 1.42× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.31 | $2.20 | $0.11 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.70 | $2.35 | $0.35 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.58 | $0.66 | $0.08 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.49 | $0.34 | 1.44× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $12.98 | $11.34 | $1.64 |
| Taxi start | $0.77 | $0.78 | $0.01 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.23 | $0.24 | $0.01 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.25 | $1.12 | $0.13 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $122.35 | $122.35 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $23.67 | $27.57 | $3.90 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $14.94 | $11.18 | 1.34× as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $43.95 | $24.56 | 1.79× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.30 | $4.94 | 1.48× as much |
Dating-age sex ratio
Metro Manila has 102.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (metro level). That is the 4th-highest of 12 Philippines cities we track. Philippines's national figure is 101.7, so Metro Manila runs 1 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Metro Manila ranks against every city we track
Metro Manila sits ahead of 76% of the 542 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 64% of 553. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 7% of 562.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Metro Manila sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: jopetsy, CC BY 2.0.
