Manila
Manila is Southeast Asia's most English-friendly megacity a sprawling capital where the gleaming towers of BGC and Makati rise over chaotic streets teeming with jeepneys, street food, and round-the-clock energy. Poblacion's bar-to-bar nightlife, BGC's walkable grid of restaurants and co-working spaces, and Manila Bay's famous sunsets define a city that rewards those who look past its rough edges. The SRRV, cheap rents, and total language accessibility make it especially compelling for longer-term expats.
What it costs to live in Manila, Philippines: rent from $550/mo, about $1,180/mo all-in for one person. Visa options, safety, internet and climate scores for anyone relocating — compare Manila with 355 other cities on Jonzy.
Best for: Digital nomads, Expat families, Remote workers.
- Rent from $550/mo, about $1,180/mo all-in for one person.
- Safety 55/100 · Internet 65/100 · a mild, fairly pleasant climate.
- Visa: Easy process, about 2 weeks (retirement option: Philippines Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV)).
- Local salaries average around $600/mo, with a solid, growing expat community.
Cost of living in Manila
| Rent (1-bed, typical) | $550/mo |
|---|---|
| Food & groceries | $250/mo |
| Transport | $80/mo |
| Healthcare | $100/mo |
| Utilities | $80/mo |
| Other essentials | $120/mo |
| Total (all-in) | $1,180/mo |
How Manila stacks up
- Rent eats about 47% of a one-person monthly budget in Manila — a rent-heavy split, so location choice moves your total the most.
- At ~$1,180/mo all-in, Manila runs about 16% cheaper than the median Jonzy city ($1,400/mo).
- A local salary (~$600/mo) covers roughly 51% of one person's costs — most movers here rely on foreign or remote income.
- Its strongest catalog score is expat community (75/100); the weakest is safety (55/100).
Is Manila right for you?
Highlights
- Large expat community — quick to plug into.
- Dedicated retirement route (Philippines Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV)).
Quality of life in Manila
- Safety: 55/100
- Internet speed: 65/100
- Climate: 62/100
- Healthcare: 62/100
- Expat community: 75/100
Taxes in Manila
0% on foreign income (non-resident); 15–25% on local income
Living in Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago of over 7,600 islands in Southeast Asia, with English as a co-official language and a strong tradition of overseas work that has created deep cultural familiarity with Western expat life. Foreign-sourced income is not taxed for non-residents. The SRRV gives retirees and longer-term residents a straightforward permanent residency path, and the country's proximity to the rest of Southeast Asia makes it a convenient hub for regional travel.
Manila relocation FAQ
How much does it cost to live in Manila?
A single person typically spends about $1,180/month in Manila, including rent (from $550/mo), food, transport, healthcare, utilities, and misc. Costs vary by neighbourhood and lifestyle.
What is the monthly cost breakdown in Manila?
Typical monthly costs for one person in Manila: rent from $550, food $250, transport $80, healthcare $100, utilities $80, and other essentials $120 — about $1,180/mo all-in. Sign in to Jonzy for community-validated figures and a budget tuned to your lifestyle.
Is Manila a good place to relocate?
On this page, Manila scores 65/100 for internet, 55/100 for safety, and 62/100 for climate — catalog averages, not personalised to you. In Jonzy, you can rank it against 355 other cities for your income, passport, and lifestyle priorities.
What visa do I need to live in Manila?
Long-stay relocation routes for Manila depend on your passport. For example, a US passport holder may see "Special Resident Retiree's Visa" (is catalogued in our catalog). Tourist entry is separate, confirm border rules on official sources before travel. Jonzy matches Philippines against 525+ visa programs in-app. Informational only, not legal advice.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Manila?
Core costs for one person run about $1,180/mo, so a comfortable budget with room for savings, travel, and irregular expenses is roughly $1,700/mo take-home. Local salaries average around $600/mo. Jonzy calculates your exact surplus after tax for your income and passport.
Who is Manila best for?
Manila tends to suit digital nomads, expat families and remote workers — based on its cost profile (about $1,180/mo all-in), 65/100 internet, 55/100 safety, and a solid, growing expat community. Jonzy scores it against your own income, passport, and lifestyle priorities so you can see whether it fits you specifically, not just the average relocator.
Is Manila expensive to live in?
At about $1,180/mo all-in for one person, Manila sits around the middle of the catalog on cost — about 16% below the median of the 356 Jonzy cities ($1,400/mo). Your own number depends on neighbourhood, lifestyle, and whether you rent short- or long-term.
Is Manila safe to live in?
Manila scores 55/100 on Jonzy's safety index, mixed on safety, with neighbourhood choice mattering a lot. For families specifically it rates 60/100. Safety varies sharply by neighbourhood and time of day everywhere — treat the score as a city-level average, and use community threads for street-level reality.
Is Manila good for remote work?
Connectivity scores 65/100 — solid for everyday remote work, with coworking as backup. The expat and nomad scene rates 75/100, and work-life balance 70/100. Combined with ~$1,180/mo all-in costs, that is the core remote-work math for Manila; Jonzy re-ranks it against your own income and timezone needs.
What is the weather like in Manila?
Manila scores 62/100 for climate — a comfortable climate for most of the year. It logs roughly 260 sunny days a year in the catalog. The city guide's seasonal data shows how the year actually feels; the climate planner tool maps it against your heat and daylight preferences.
What are taxes like in Manila?
Typical tax snapshot for Manila, Philippines: 0% on foreign income (non-resident); 15–25% on local income. Your actual liability depends on residency status, income source, and any tax treaty — Jonzy estimates take-home pay for your specific situation, and this is not tax advice.