๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ Southeast Asia

Manila, Philippines

Southeast Asia โœ“ Live Numbeo data See Philippines country profile โ†’

Dense, English-speaking capital; cheap; heavy traffic

$598
Monthly cost (excl. rent)
$570
1BR city-center rent
โ‰ˆ35.5
CoL index (NYC=100, derived)
199 Mbps
Fixed download (measured median)

Climate

๐ŸŒก๏ธ Average Hourly Temperature
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
frigidfreezingvery coldcoldcoolcomfortablewarmhotsweltering

Rainfall, humidity, and the best months to visit: see the full Manila climate profile โ†’

Internet speeds

Measured medians from 533,536 real speedtests within 10 km of the city center (Q1 2026) โ€” not advertised ISP numbers.

Download Upload Latency Tests
Fixed broadband 199 Mbps 188 Mbps 6 ms 443,792
Mobile 111 Mbps 16.3 Mbps 19 ms 89,744

Speedtestยฎ by Ookla Global Fixed and Mobile Network Performance Maps, ยฉ Ookla. Accessed 2026-07-18. Your building's wiring and ISP plan matter more than the city median. Compare all cities in the Internet Speed Explorer โ†’

Cost of living breakdown

USD converted from local prices at baseline rates (1 USD = 60.311 PHP, 2026-06-16). Use the Cost of Living Explorer for live exchange rates.

๐Ÿ’ฐ Monthly budgets USD Local
Individual (excl. rent) $598 PHP 36,075
Individual all-in (excl. rent + 1BR center) $1,168 โ€”
Family of 4 (excl. rent) $2,133 PHP 128,615
Average net salary (after tax) $506 PHP 30,535
๐Ÿข Rent & property USD Local
1BR city center $570 PHP 34,375
1BR outside center $306 PHP 18,467
3BR city center $1,984 PHP 119,667
3BR outside center $693 PHP 41,800
Buy price / sqft โ€” center $411 PHP 24,815
Buy price / sqft โ€” outside $243 PHP 14,639
๐Ÿฝ๏ธ Food & dining USD Local
Cheap meal (1 person) $5.80 PHP 350
Mid-range dinner (2 people) $28.19 PHP 1,700
Fast food combo $4.15 PHP 250
Beef (per lb) $3.28 PHP 198
Taxi (per mile) $0.39 PHP 23.34
โšก Utilities & lifestyle USD Local
Basic utilities / mo $121 PHP 7,286
Phone plan / mo $14 PHP 865
Internet / mo $25 PHP 1,485
Gym membership / mo $43 PHP 2,589
Cinema ticket $7.05 PHP 425
Preschool / mo $597 PHP 35,987
International school / yr $9,292 PHP 560,391
New car (Corolla equiv.) $22,218 PHP 1,340K

Visa, taxes & legal in Philippines

Country-level research that applies to living in Manila โ€” each row links to the full comparison dashboard.

Tourist entry (US passport)30 days visa-free, extendable repeatedly to 36 months (famously stretchy)
Digital nomad visaDigital Nomad Visa (EO 86, 2025) โ€” income requirement ~$2,000/mo cited โ†’ official threshold still implementation-dependent, verify with DFA โ€” compare all countries โ†’
Path to permanent residencyNo via DNV; SRRV is indefinite
Tax if you become residentTerritorial for aliens โญ system ยท top rate 35% top โ€” tax breakdown โ†’
Family-law exposure (payer)Obligation 6/10 ยท cross-border collection 3/10 โ€” legal detail โ†’

Everything about the country in one place: Philippines profile for American nomads โ†’

Location

Compare with nearby cities

Data last updated ยท Source: Numbeo