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Da Lat vs Manila cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Da Lat
๐ต๐ญ Manila
At a glance
- Where Manila is clearly cheaper: Transit (42%โ), Street food (23%โ)
- Where Da Lat is clearly cheaper: Local meal (65%โ), Convenience store (59%โ), Hotel night (57%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Manila is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: language โ Da Lat 4 vs Manila 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Da Lat | Manila | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 45,000$1.71 | โฑ 280$4.91 | Da Lat โ65% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โฑ 50$0.88 | Manila โ23% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 180,000$6.84 | โฑ 800$14 | Da Lat โ51% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 35,000$1.33 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Da Lat โ49% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฑ 120$2.11 | Da Lat โ55% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 90,000$3.42 | โฑ 300$5.26 | Da Lat โ35% |
| Bottled water | โซ 6,000$0.23 | โฑ 25$0.44 | Da Lat โ48% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | โฑ 63$1.11 | Da Lat โ59% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | โฑ 220$3.86 | Da Lat โ26% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 22,000$0.84 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Da Lat โ21% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 12,000$0.46 | โฑ 15$0.26 | Manila โ42% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 130,000$4.94 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Da Lat โ44% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 700,000$26.6 | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | Da Lat โ57% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 7,000,000$266 | โฑ 25,000$439 | Da Lat โ39% |
| Laundry | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Da Lat โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 180,000$6.84 | โฑ 350$6.14 | Manila โ10% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 60,000$2.28 | โฑ 180$3.16 | Da Lat โ28% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 250,000$9.51 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Manila โ8% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 400,000$15.2 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | Da Lat โ42% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 60,000$2.28 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Da Lat โ13% |
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, Da Lat or Manila?
Da Lat is 49% cheaper than Manila. Daily budget $49.7 vs $107; a month $945 vs $1,683.
Which is easier to travel, Da Lat or Manila?
Manila is easier: Manila 2.6/5 vs Da Lat 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Da Lat and Manila?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Da Lat is about $945 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.