Philippines, Manila

Country Full Name: Republic of the Philippines.

Location: Philippines is an archipelago in South Eastern Asia, between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam.

Country Climate: Tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October).

Country Terrain: Mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands.

Major Languages: Filipino, English (both official) .

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 90.5 million (2008 est.) 92.2 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of the Philippines is a mixed economic system, and one of the newly industrialized emerging market economies of the world. Important sectors of the Philippine economy include agriculture and industry, particularly food processing, textiles and garments, and electronics and automobile parts.

Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP).

Inflation: 4.9% (2011 est.).

City: Manila is the capital of the Philippines.

City Economy: Manila is one of the world's largest and most densely populated cities in the world. Manila's economy is diverse and multifaceted and serves as the nation's chief seaport.

The cost of living in Manila in the Philippines is high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Manila in the Philippines is currently ranked 309 overall out of 950 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 950 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcoholic beverages, alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine (where alcohol is legally sold) as well as for tobacco products such as cigarettes. There are 46 places that are more expensive, and 903 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as clothing and footwear products, business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear. There are 22 places that are more expensive, and 927 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract, data, and calls. There are 804 places that are more expensive, and 145 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees. There are 918 places that are more expensive, and 31 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are low compared to other places for items such as furniture, household equipment and appliances, DVD player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine. There are 577 places that are more expensive, and 372 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs . There are 105 places that are more expensive, and 844 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are average compared to other places for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance, general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions. There are 562 places that are more expensive, and 387 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are high compared to other places for items such as housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes, mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies. There are 282 places that are more expensive, and 667 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are average compared to other places for items such as stationery, linen, general goods and services, domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps. There are 439 places that are more expensive, and 510 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as personal care products and services, cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner. There are 710 places that are more expensive, and 239 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are average compared to other places for items such as books, camera film, cinema tickets, DVDs and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets. There are 521 places that are more expensive, and 428 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food). There are 328 places that are more expensive, and 621 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are high compared to other places for items such as public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance, hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase. There are 351 places that are more expensive, and 598 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Manila in the Philippines are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Manila in the Philippines is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Manila in the Philippines are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is at at 1 January 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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