Is Manila Expensive?

Philippines · Southeast Asia · Currency: PHP

26.8
COLI Index
#90
of 182 Cities
21.4%
Total Deductions
$500
1BR Rent/mo

About Manila

Manila has a cost of living index of 26.8, making it a very low cost city compared to New York (baseline = 100). It ranks #90 out of 182 cities tracked globally.

The local currency is PHP. A salary of $75,000 USD in New York would need to be approximately ₱1,127,598 in Manila to maintain the same purchasing power.

The approximate effective income tax rate in Philippines is 16% for a mid-range earner. Including social security and other mandatory deductions, the total deduction rate is approximately 21.4%.

Monthly Cost Breakdown in Manila

Estimated monthly expense allocation for a mid-range earner living in Manila. Housing costs are based on average one-bedroom rent in the city center ($500/month), with other categories adjusted for the local cost of living index.

Housing
36%
Food & Groceries
18%
Transportation
10%
Utilities
6%
Healthcare
5%
Other & Savings
25%

Estimates based on a mid-range salary adjusted for Manila's COLI of 26.8 and Philippines's total deduction rate of 21.4%. Individual expenses will vary.

Tax & Deductions Breakdown in Manila

Estimated annual deductions for a mid-range salary of ₱1,127,598 in Manila. This shows all mandatory payroll deductions as a local employee.

Income Tax
16%
SSS + PhilHealth + Pag-IBIG
5.0%
Total Deductions: 21.4%
Est. Take-Home: ₱886,819/yr

Rates shown are for a local employee. Expat rates may differ — use the main converter for personalized calculations.

Salary Ranges by Job Title in Manila (2026)

Estimated annual salaries in Manila (PHP) adjusted for cost of living. These figures represent local purchasing-power-adjusted ranges based on global baseline data.

Job Title Entry Level Mid Level Senior Level
Doctor (General) ₱1,202,771 ₱2,706,235 ₱5,262,123
Surgeon ₱1,804,157 ₱4,209,699 ₱7,517,319
Dentist ₱1,052,425 ₱2,405,542 ₱4,510,392
Pharmacist ₱902,078 ₱1,879,330 ₱3,006,928
Nurse ₱451,039 ₱872,009 ₱1,503,464
Psychologist ₱676,559 ₱1,277,944 ₱2,255,196
Software Engineer ₱676,559 ₱1,277,944 ₱2,706,235
DevOps Engineer ₱751,732 ₱1,428,291 ₱2,631,062
Data Scientist ₱751,732 ₱1,428,291 ₱2,555,889
Mechanical Engineer ₱601,386 ₱1,172,702 ₱2,104,849
Civil Engineer ₱571,316 ₱1,082,494 ₱2,029,676
Electrical Engineer ₱631,455 ₱1,202,771 ₱2,180,023
Architect ₱571,316 ₱1,082,494 ₱1,954,503
UX Designer ₱601,386 ₱1,127,598 ₱2,104,849
Product Manager ₱826,905 ₱1,503,464 ₱2,856,581
Project Manager ₱676,559 ₱1,202,771 ₱2,255,196
Financial Analyst ₱631,455 ₱1,172,702 ₱2,180,023
Accountant ₱526,212 ₱932,148 ₱1,653,810
Business Analyst ₱631,455 ₱1,127,598 ₱2,104,849
Consultant ₱676,559 ₱1,353,117 ₱2,706,235
Investment Banker ₱1,202,771 ₱2,255,196 ₱5,262,123
Actuary ₱902,078 ₱1,653,810 ₱3,006,928
Lawyer ₱751,732 ₱1,503,464 ₱3,307,620
Paralegal ₱451,039 ₱781,801 ₱1,277,944
Marketing Manager ₱571,316 ₱1,082,494 ₱2,029,676
Sales Manager ₱601,386 ₱1,202,771 ₱2,405,542
Graphic Designer ₱451,039 ₱826,905 ₱1,503,464
Content Writer ₱375,866 ₱751,732 ₱1,353,117
HR Manager ₱571,316 ₱1,052,425 ₱1,954,503
Operations Manager ₱676,559 ₱1,232,840 ₱2,255,196
CEO / Executive ₱1,503,464 ₱3,307,620 ₱7,517,319
Teacher ₱375,866 ₱721,663 ₱1,277,944
Professor ₱751,732 ₱1,428,291 ₱2,706,235
Research Scientist ₱676,559 ₱1,277,944 ₱2,330,369
Pilot ₱751,732 ₱1,804,157 ₱3,758,660
Chef ₱375,866 ₱751,732 ₱1,503,464
Journalist ₱375,866 ₱781,801 ₱1,428,291

Salary ranges are estimates adjusted by Manila's COLI (26.8) relative to the New York baseline (100). Actual salaries depend on experience, company, and industry.

How Much Do You Need to Earn in Manila?

Understanding your take-home pay is critical when evaluating a move to Manila. With total deductions of approximately 21.4% (income tax + social security) in Philippines and average one-bedroom rent of $500/month, here is what a mid-range salary looks like:

₱1,127,598
Gross Annual (Mid-Range)
₱73,858
Monthly Take-Home

After taxes, a mid-range earner in Manila takes home approximately ₱73,858 per month. With housing consuming roughly 36% of after-tax income, careful budgeting is essential in this very low cost city. Your purchasing power in Manila is 373% of what it would be in New York for the same nominal salary.

Neighborhoods in Manila

20 neighborhoods tracked with cost multipliers relative to the city average. This neighborhood-level data helps you understand exactly how costs vary within Manila.

NeighborhoodMultipliervs City Avg
Makati (CBD) 1.28x +28%
BGC (Taguig) 1.25x +25%
Rockwell 1.22x +22%
Alabang 1.10x +10%
Ortigas 1.08x +8%
Greenhills 1.05x +5%
Eastwood (Quezon City) 1.02x +2%
San Juan 0.98x -2%
Mandaluyong 0.95x -5%
Pasig 0.92x -8%
Muntinlupa 0.88x -12%
Quezon City (Diliman) 0.88x -12%
Paranaque 0.85x -15%
Quezon City (Cubao) 0.82x -18%
Marikina 0.82x -18%
Manila (Ermita) 0.78x -22%
Las Piñas 0.75x -25%
Cainta 0.75x -25%
Antipolo 0.72x -28%
Valenzuela 0.72x -28%

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Salary Comparison: Manila vs Other Cities

To maintain the same standard of living as $75,000 USD in Manila, here's what you'd need in other cities:

City COLI Equivalent Salary Difference
New York 100 $279,851 +73%
London 87.5 £184,390 +69%
Singapore 87.7 S$319,723 +69%
Dubai 72.4 AED 734,011 +63%
Berlin 51.2 €121,489 +48%
Tokyo 77.3 ¥33,510,770 +65%
Sydney 74.5 A$296,249 +64%
Toronto 62.3 C$236,051 +57%

Compare Manila With Other Cities

See detailed side-by-side comparisons of salaries, rent, taxes, and neighborhoods.

Manila vs Abu Dhabi Manila vs Amsterdam Manila vs Athens Manila vs Atlanta Manila vs Auckland Manila vs Austin Manila vs Bali (Denpasar) Manila vs Bangalore Manila vs Bangkok Manila vs Barcelona Manila vs Beijing Manila vs Berlin Manila vs Bogotá Manila vs Boston Manila vs Brussels Manila vs Bucharest Manila vs Budapest Manila vs Buenos Aires Manila vs Cairo Manila vs Cancún Manila vs Cape Town Manila vs Casablanca Manila vs Charlotte Manila vs Chennai Manila vs Chiang Mai Manila vs Chicago Manila vs Copenhagen Manila vs Dallas Manila vs Delhi Manila vs Denver Manila vs Doha Manila vs Dubai Manila vs Dublin Manila vs Edinburgh Manila vs Fukuoka Manila vs Geneva Manila vs Guangzhou Manila vs Hanoi Manila vs Helsinki Manila vs Ho Chi Minh City Manila vs Hong Kong Manila vs Houston Manila vs Istanbul Manila vs Jakarta Manila vs Krakow Manila vs Kuala Lumpur Manila vs Lagos Manila vs Las Vegas Manila vs Lima Manila vs Lisbon Manila vs London Manila vs Los Angeles Manila vs Luxembourg City Manila vs Madrid Manila vs Marrakech Manila vs Medellín Manila vs Melbourne Manila vs Mexico City Manila vs Miami Manila vs Milan Manila vs Minneapolis Manila vs Montevideo Manila vs Montreal Manila vs Mumbai Manila vs Munich Manila vs Málaga Manila vs Nairobi Manila vs Nashville Manila vs New York Manila vs Nice Manila vs Osaka Manila vs Oslo Manila vs Panama City Manila vs Paris Manila vs Perth Manila vs Philadelphia Manila vs Phnom Penh Manila vs Phoenix Manila vs Phuket Manila vs Playa del Carmen Manila vs Portland Manila vs Porto Manila vs Prague Manila vs Raleigh Manila vs Riga Manila vs Riyadh Manila vs Rome Manila vs San Diego Manila vs San Francisco Manila vs San José (CR) Manila vs Santiago Manila vs Seattle Manila vs Seoul Manila vs Shanghai Manila vs Shenzhen Manila vs Singapore Manila vs Split Manila vs Stockholm Manila vs Sydney Manila vs São Paulo Manila vs Taipei Manila vs Tallinn Manila vs Tampa Manila vs Tel Aviv Manila vs Tokyo Manila vs Toronto Manila vs Valencia Manila vs Vancouver Manila vs Vienna Manila vs Warsaw Manila vs Washington DC Manila vs Zurich

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living index for Manila?

The cost of living index (COLI) for Manila is 26.8, which ranks #90 out of 182 cities globally. New York is the baseline at 100.

How much salary do I need in Manila to match $75,000 in New York?

To maintain the same purchasing power as $75,000 USD in New York, you would need approximately ₱1,127,598 in Manila.

What is the average rent in Manila?

The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center of Manila is approximately $500 USD.

What are the total payroll deductions in Philippines?

The approximate effective income tax rate for a mid-range earner in Philippines is approximately 16%. Including social security and other mandatory contributions, total deductions are approximately 21.4%.

What are the cheapest neighborhoods in Manila?

The most affordable neighborhoods include Cainta, Antipolo, Valenzuela.

What are the most expensive areas in Manila?

The most expensive neighborhoods are Makati (CBD), BGC (Taguig), Rockwell.

Data Sources & Methodology

Our cost of living index (COLI) uses New York City as the baseline (COLI = 100). Indices are derived from multiple sources including Numbeo, Expatistan, and national statistics agencies. Exchange rates are sourced from the European Central Bank.

Tax rates represent approximate effective rates for mid-range earners based on OECD Taxing Wages data and do not constitute tax advice. Neighborhood cost multipliers are estimated from local rental indices and property data. Salary ranges are modeled by adjusting global baseline figures by each city's COLI.

Last updated: 2026-02-25. Data is refreshed periodically and may not reflect very recent changes. All figures are estimates for informational purposes only.

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