Cost of living in Manila
One person can expect roughly $858 a month in Manila, before flights and one-off setup costs.
one person, monthly
$858
family of four, monthly
$1,412
What that actually covers.
| Item | USD / month |
|---|---|
| Rent, one bedroom Modelled from a country baseline, not a quoted listing. | $500 |
| Food and groceries | $150 |
| Utilities | $50 |
| Mobile data | $12 |
| Local transportverified | $20 |
| Coworking 12/day × 4 days/mo regional estimate | $48 |
| Buffer Headroom for everything not itemised above. | $78 |
| Total | $858 |
Estimate. Rent is modelled from a country baseline, not a quoted listing.
What this figure leaves out
Flights, visa fees, health insurance, a rental deposit (often one to three months up front), agency fees, furniture, and the first-month overlap where you pay for a short stay and a lease at the same time. Budget for those separately; they are a one-off cash need, not a monthly cost.
