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Manila vs Suzhou cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐ญ Manila
๐จ๐ณ Suzhou
At a glance
- Where Suzhou is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (68%โ), Convenience store (49%โ), Taxi (42%โ)
- Where Manila is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (77%โ), Laundry (63%โ), Street food (58%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Manila 2 vs Suzhou 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Manila | Suzhou | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฑ 280$4.91 | ยฅ 25$3.52 | Suzhou โ28% |
| Street food1 item | โฑ 50$0.88 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Manila โ58% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฑ 800$14 | ยฅ 80$11.3 | Suzhou โ20% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฑ 150$2.63 | ยฅ 28$3.94 | Manila โ33% |
| Beerone bottle | โฑ 120$2.11 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฑ 300$5.26 | ยฅ 60$8.45 | Manila โ38% |
| Bottled water | โฑ 25$0.44 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Suzhou โ36% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฑ 63$1.11 | ยฅ 4$0.56 | Suzhou โ49% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฑ 220$3.86 | ยฅ 16$2.25 | Suzhou โ42% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฑ 60$1.05 | ยฅ 11$1.55 | Manila โ32% |
| Transitone ride | โฑ 15$0.26 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Manila โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฑ 500$8.77 | ยฅ 20$2.82 | Suzhou โ68% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | ยฅ 300$42.3 | Suzhou โ31% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฑ 25,000$439 | ยฅ 3,000$423 | similar |
| Laundry | โฑ 60$1.05 | ยฅ 20$2.82 | Manila โ63% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฑ 350$6.14 | ยฅ 100$14.1 | Manila โ56% |
| Haircutcut | โฑ 180$3.16 | ยฅ 40$5.63 | Manila โ44% |
| Massage1 hour | โฑ 500$8.77 | ยฅ 150$21.1 | Manila โ58% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | ยฅ 180$25.4 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฑ 150$2.63 | ยฅ 80$11.3 | Manila โ77% |
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 Suzhou?
Suzhou is 11% cheaper than Manila. Daily budget $107 vs $78; a month $1,683 vs $1,762.
Which is easier to travel, Manila or Suzhou?
About the same: Manila 2.6/5, Suzhou 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Manila and Suzhou?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Manila is about $1,683 and Suzhou about $1,762 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.