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Bangkok vs Manila cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Bangkok
๐ต๐ญ Manila
At a glance
- Where Manila is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (83%โ), Transit (75%โ), Street food (52%โ)
- Where Bangkok is clearly cheaper: Local meal (38%โ), Convenience store (31%โ), Bottled water (31%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bangkok 4 vs Manila 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bangkok | Manila | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฑ 280$4.91 | Bangkok โ38% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 60$1.82 | โฑ 50$0.88 | Manila โ52% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 400$12.1 | โฑ 800$14 | Bangkok โ14% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 85$2.58 | โฑ 150$2.63 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 130$3.94 | โฑ 120$2.11 | Manila โ47% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 300$9.09 | โฑ 300$5.26 | Manila โ42% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 10$0.3 | โฑ 25$0.44 | Bangkok โ31% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 25$0.76 | โฑ 63$1.11 | Bangkok โ31% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 115$3.48 | โฑ 220$3.86 | Bangkok โ10% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 30$0.91 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Bangkok โ14% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 35$1.06 | โฑ 15$0.26 | Manila โ75% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Bangkok โ14% |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 1,600$48.5 | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | Bangkok โ21% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 18,000$545 | โฑ 25,000$439 | Manila โ20% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 40$1.21 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Manila โ13% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 299$9.06 | โฑ 350$6.14 | Manila โ32% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | โฑ 180$3.16 | Manila โ31% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 350$10.6 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Manila โ17% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 1,200$36.4 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | Manila โ28% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 500$15.2 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Manila โ83% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bangkok or Manila?
Bangkok is 8% cheaper than Manila. Daily budget $85.6 vs $107; a month $1,823 vs $1,683.
Which is easier to travel, Bangkok or Manila?
About the same: Bangkok 2.6/5, Manila 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bangkok and Manila?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bangkok is about $1,823 and Manila about $1,683 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.