Cost of Living · ZA vs PH
🇿🇦 Cape Town vs 🇵🇭 Manila: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $833 in South Africa vs $697 in Philippines — 16.37% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Philippines
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -18.78%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -18.78%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -18.78%
Closest to South Africa prices
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -5.66%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -5.76%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -5.77%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Africa | Philippines | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $520 | $422 (24,263 PHP) | -18.78% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $416 | $338 (19,410 PHP) | -18.78% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $950 | $772 (44,366 PHP) | -18.78% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.93 | $5.89 (339 PHP) | -15.01% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $28.88 | $24.53 (1,411 PHP) | -15.06% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $4.62 | $3.98 (229 PHP) | -13.85% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.55 | $0.49 (28 PHP) | -10.91% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.60 | $1.42 (82 PHP) | -11.25% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.70 | $1.51 (87 PHP) | -11.18% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.00 | $4.44 (255 PHP) | -11.2% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.00 | $1.77 (102 PHP) | -11.5% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.40 | $2.13 (122 PHP) | -11.25% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $5.99 | $5.32 (306 PHP) | -11.19% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.00 | $0.89 (51 PHP) | -11% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.31 | $1.96 (113 PHP) | -15.15% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.65 | $5.33 (307 PHP) | -5.66% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $1.93 | $1.64 (94 PHP) | -15.03% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.15 | $1.02 (59 PHP) | -11.3% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $27.30 | $23.53 (1,353 PHP) | -13.81% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.16 | $1.00 (58 PHP) | -13.79% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.54 | $1.31 (75 PHP) | -14.94% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.69 | $0.59 (34 PHP) | -14.49% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.67 | $0.63 (36 PHP) | -5.97% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $84.00 | $72.40 (4,163 PHP) | -13.81% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $29.40 | $25.34 (1,457 PHP) | -13.81% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $18.90 | $16.29 (937 PHP) | -13.81% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $19.26 | $16.35 (940 PHP) | -15.11% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $5.39 | $4.58 (263 PHP) | -15.03% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $11.55 | $9.81 (564 PHP) | -15.06% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $38.87 | $36.63 (2,106 PHP) | -5.76% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $63.61 | $59.94 (3,447 PHP) | -5.77% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $96.28 | $81.76 (4,702 PHP) | -15.08% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Philippines than South Africa?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $697 in Philippines versus $833 in South Africa — 16.37% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Philippines?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $1.96 in Philippines (≈ 112.71 PHP), versus about $2.31 in South Africa.
- How much is rent in Philippines compared to South Africa?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $422/month in Philippines versus $520/month in South Africa (-18.78%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.