Manila or formally known as Metro Manila is a vast mega city
composed of 16 cities and 1 municipality. Metro Manila is the Philippines
densest city in terms of population with around 19,000 people living in a
square kilometer. Almost 25% of the country’s population is living in contiguous
zone of the capital. The growing number of population is compensated by the
growing number of business districts. The growth of prominent business
districts is one of the major developments in the Metro that became the number
one hotspot for the Filipino job seekers. The well-known business districts are
clustered into (1)Ayala/Makati, (2)Ortigas in Pasig (3)BGC in Taguig/Makati, (4)Binondo in Manila.
There are more than 20
emerging districts that have sprung up in the mega city, to name the few these
are Eastwood City, Araneta
Cyberpark, UP Techno Hub, Rockwell Center and Filinvest Corporate City.
Despite of the congestions and full pack of uncertainties
in the capital city, people are still trying to search and hoping for a better
future in here. We have hundreds of reasons why we keep on visiting and working
in Metro Manila. One of our reasons may
be, it generally pays higher salary compared to provincial cities with salary
range of Php12,000 – Php25,000 per month.
Although Manila pays higher salary but it also offers higher cost of living. And the question is how much it would cost to work in Manila. Here are some tips to save and live with the budget.
Budget
|
Min
|
Max
|
Meals
|
Php3,150
|
Php6,000
|
Rent
|
Php2,000
|
Php2,500
|
Transportation
|
Php700
|
Php1,000
|
Food Groceries
|
Php500
|
Php1,000
|
Personal Items
|
Php500
|
Php1,000
|
Clothing
|
Php500
|
Php700
|
Mobile Load
|
Php300
|
Php500
|
Miscellaneous
|
Php500
|
Php700
|
Total
|
Php8,150
|
Php13,400
|
Meals
Your daily meal budget for shall range from Php105
to Php200 for 3 meals. A Php35 budget meal is the cheapest meal you can buy in
local street food stall or so called “JolliJeep”. This Jollijeep offers
breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you want to cook for your own, there are available
local wet markets in the local areas. Cooking for your own may be the healthiest
meal but for this busy city it may not be the practical way especially for
those living in a boarding house wherein cooking is not allowed.
Rent
If you don’t have your family or relatives
living near your work place, living in a boarding house is the best way to cut
your budget. A Php2,000 to Php2,500 rent fee will already provide you a
reasonable comfort. Security, facilities, food accessibility, transportation
accessibility and price should be your primary consideration. You must plan and
expect for a 1 month advance, 2 months deposit policy or in short 3 months
initial payment.
Transportation
Jeepneys and buses are the cheapest way to commute
in the Metro. The flat rate for jeeps and buses are Php8 and Php12
respectively. In riding a bus or jeep, you
must move quickly, never hesitate to ask, keep your eyes on your bag, and never
put your money or cellphone in your pocket. Living in a ride away is a good choice but
walk away is the best.
Food
Groceries
Don’t forget to stop at the grocery store to
buy your snacks. Aside from your meal you must have a stored food on your
boarding house or work place to solve your starvation. Buying in a grocery
stores like PureGold, SM Hypermarket and etc is cheaper compared to buying in
convenient stores like 7Eleven and Ministop.
Personal
Items
Hygiene and grooming must also be prioritized
especially if you are working in a corporate or professional world. A Php500 –
Php1,000 monthly budget is already enough. Try to list down your usual grooming
products and sum it up.
Clothing
Monthly clothing? Yes. It is better if you buy one clothing a month. But of course think about your budget. If you
think this is not your priority, well it is just okay as long as so still have
your presentable clothes. In choosing your clothes, you must consider the
quality and price not the brand or price alone.
Mobile
Load
You need this to communicate your family,
relative and friends across the country.
Miscellaneous
You should have your miscellaneous budget for
the unplanned or variable expenses like going out with friends, occasional dinner
or lunch out, and other fitness and social activities like running. In this
case, your above budget will not be affected. But remember that your
miscellaneous should not be higher than your top 3 primary budget.
Bottomline:
Living in Manila while living in your budget
will cost you at around Php8,150 to Php13,400. It is not a guarantee that you
will live in a very comfortable life since it always depends on your lifestyle
such as food choices, preferred activity and spending habit. To improve your
budget management you should always track your usual expenses and modify it if
necessary or simply adjust your spending habit.
Image Source: Fineartamerica
