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Manila vs Palawan cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐ญ Manila
๐ต๐ญ Palawan
At a glance
- Where Palawan is clearly cheaper: Local meal (46%โ), Studio rent (month) (44%โ), Restaurant dinner (37%โ)
- Where Manila is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (70%โ), Street food (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Manila 3 vs Palawan 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Manila | Palawan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฑ 280$4.91 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Palawan โ46% |
| Street food1 item | โฑ 50$0.88 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Manila โ17% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฑ 800$14 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Palawan โ37% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฑ 150$2.63 | โฑ 130$2.28 | Palawan โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | โฑ 120$2.11 | โฑ 90$1.58 | Palawan โ25% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฑ 300$5.26 | โฑ 250$4.39 | Palawan โ17% |
| Bottled water | โฑ 25$0.44 | โฑ 25$0.44 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฑ 63$1.11 | โฑ 40$0.7 | Palawan โ37% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฑ 220$3.86 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Palawan โ32% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฑ 60$1.05 | โฑ 60$1.05 | similar |
| Transitone ride | โฑ 15$0.26 | โฑ 15$0.26 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฑ 500$8.77 | โฑ 550$9.65 | Manila โ9% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | โฑ 3,000$52.6 | Palawan โ14% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฑ 25,000$439 | โฑ 14,000$246 | Palawan โ44% |
| Laundry | โฑ 60$1.05 | โฑ 60$1.05 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โฑ 350$6.14 | โฑ 400$7.02 | Manila โ12% |
| Haircutcut | โฑ 180$3.16 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Palawan โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | โฑ 500$8.77 | โฑ 500$8.77 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฑ 150$2.63 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Manila โ70% |
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, Manila or Palawan?
Palawan is 29% cheaper than Manila. Daily budget $107 vs $82; a month $1,683 vs $1,113.
Which is easier to travel, Manila or Palawan?
About the same: Manila 2.6/5, Palawan 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Manila and Palawan?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Manila is about $1,683 and Palawan about $1,113 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.