Manila is one of the most expensive cities to live in in Southeast Asia , a research done by meta-search iPrice Group.
The research, which gathered the estimated monthly cost of living in six of Southeast Asia’s popular cities – Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta – on cost of living database Numbeo on April 21 showed
Manila has the second-highest rent prices after Singapore, a more developed economy.
The report showed the price of a one-bedroom apartment in the city center of Manila is 56 percent higher than Kuala Lumpur’s, 47 percent higher than Jakarta’s, 31 percent higher than Ho Chi Minh’s and 9 percent higher than Bangkok’s.
While the cost of living in Singapore is at least 132 percent higher than the others, Bangkok and Manila are neck and neck at the top, iPrice said.
Bangkok has an estimated monthly cost of living of P51,500 for a single person including rent, food, transportation, utilities, etc. and Manila is at close P50,8000.
Minus the rent, the total cost of living still reaches about P28,800 per month in Manila.
Manila’s cost of living tops the other cities’ by 33 percent (Kuala Lumpur), 28 percent (Ho Chi Minh), and 24 percent (Jakarta).
But Numbeo numbers showed Manila has the lowest estimated average net salary among the other cities.
The city’s average salary, based on the contributors’ data and aggregated information from authoritative sources, is only about P18,9000 per month.
This means the average cost of living is 168 percent higher than the average salary.
The report noted the common practice of bed space rentals where instead of renting actual rooms or an entire apartment, some locals resort to renting bed spaces and sharing rooms with others.
The report surmised given the high costs and low wages, Manila residents perhaps keep leisure expenses or take-outs to a minimum if they enjoy it at all.
The report noted costly living conditions are aggravated by the fact that Manila has the second-worst traffic in the world.
