Quezon City

Cost of Living inQuezon City, Philippines

National Capital Region, Philippines3.1MLower middle incomeRemote-work friendly

Image credit: Judgefloro

Purchasing Power vs. United States

Your money goes 4.2x further

Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Philippines: $10,376/capita.

How Far Your Money Goes

Prices are 68% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).

Overall
3.1x further
Prices are 68% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
14x further
Prices are 93% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
2.6x further
Prices are 62% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
4.8x further
Prices are 79% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).

Income Category

Lower Middle
World Bank GNI

Happiness

6.0 / 10

#52 globally

GDP per Capita

$10,376
PPP, International $

City Population

3.1M

Monthly Costs

Rent

1BR City Center$257/mo
3BR City Center$668/mo

Food

Cheap Meal$4.20
Milk (1L)$1.82
Bread (500g)$1.29
Eggs (12)$1.98

Transport

Monthly Pass$21
Taxi per km$0.26
Gasoline (1L)$1.09

Utilities

Basic (85mΒ² apt)$166/mo
Internet (60+ Mbps)$27/mo

Education

Preschool$79/mo

Child Education

Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost β€” the two paths a relocating family weighs.

Public schools

Public-schooling rules are set nationally for Philippines; Quezon City-specific enrollment notes are still being verified.

Mixed public-school option

Quality

Mixed public-school option

Expat access

Available to residents

conditional

Instruction

English / Filipino

Language fit is more manageable.

PISA / outcomes

Qualitative only

Using curated quality notes for now.

Why this quality rating

The Philippines has a more English-friendly public path than many peers, but quality still varies too much for the system to feel universally strong.

Why the expat-access rating looks like this

Resident families can generally access public schools, and English helps, but many expat households still choose private options for predictability.

πŸ“‹ Homeschooling

Legal with DepEd accreditation

Homeschooling is legal through DepEd-accredited homeschool providers. The Alternative Learning System (ALS) provides a pathway. Individual families typically work through an accredited program rather than independently.

Homeschool legality in Philippines β€” check current regulations before committing.

Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)

International & private schools

Median tuition
3 schools listed
$13,766/yr
IB3

Childcare & Domestic Help

Current nanny and household-help pricing snapshot for Quezon City, Philippines.

Full-time nanny (5 days)

$450-$650

monthly Β· confidence 0.65

Live-in / 24-7 nanny

$750-$1,050

monthly Β· confidence 0.65

Source: curated family relocation research

Getting Around

The concrete mobility picture for Quezon City: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.

Airport

Major international gateway

NAIA remains the Philippines’ main international air gateway and gives Manila the country’s broadest flight network.

Urban transit

LRT, MRT, and bus

metrobus

Metro Manila has a real rail component through the LRT and MRT lines, with buses and jeepney-style services covering much of the rest.

Rideshare

Grab available

Grab is a normal first/last-mile and airport fallback across Metro Manila.

Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)

Healthcare

System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Philippines.

Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.

78 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 2 months ago

Healthcare system

Limited

Doctor staffing is lighter, hospital capacity looks tighter, and households still pay a large share themselves weigh on this rating.

Public care

Limited

A visible public hospital footprint help, but public funding looks lighter and patients still shoulder a meaningful share of costs.

Private care

Mixed

A clearly private facility base help, but self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse.

UHC coverage

69/100

2023

Physicians

0.79/1k

2021

Hospital beds

0.97/1k

2021

Out of pocket

44%

2023

Outcome signals

Life expectancy

69.9 yrs

2024

Maternal mortality

84/100k

2023

Neonatal mortality

13.6/1k

2024

International patient readiness

Limited

A visible private hospital base help, but price transparency is still sparse and headline outcomes are less reassuring.

Pricing transparency

Limited

Published self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.

Facility coverage

Pharmacy: 38Clinic: 16Dentist: 12Hospital: 6Doctor: 3Laboratory: 3

Self-pay pricing visibility

No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Philippines yet.

This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.

Notable facilities

Veterans Memorial Medical Center
Hospital Β· Emergency
Website
Philippine Medical Tests System
Hospital Β· Emergency
Providence Hospital
Hospital Β· Emergency
Capitol Medical Center
Hospital Β· Emergency
Far Eastern University - Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation
Hospital Β· Emergency
Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital
Hospital Β· Emergency

System metrics: World Bank WDI Β· Updated 2026-06-01

Safety & Governance

Street Safety

Safety Index36/100
Crime Index64/100

Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.

Political Stability

Political Stability-1.10

World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.

Wages by Sector

SectorMedian
Administrative & Support Servicesβ€”
Agriculture & Farmingβ€”
Arts, Entertainment & Recreationβ€”
Constructionβ€”
Educationβ€”
Finance & Insuranceβ€”
Healthcare & Social Workβ€”
Hospitality & Food Serviceβ€”
Information & Technologyβ€”
Manufacturingβ€”
Mining & Quarryingβ€”
Other Servicesβ€”
Professional & Scientific Servicesβ€”
Public Administration & Defenceβ€”
Real Estateβ€”
Retail & Wholesale Tradeβ€”
Transport & Logisticsβ€”
Utilitiesβ€”

2023 annual wages in Quezon City, Philippines Β· Source: PSA LFS (region-adjusted)

Price Comparison vs. US

beer
$1.50Estimated81% cheaper
big mac
$2.74Estimated55% cheaper
bread 500g
$1.29Estimated62% cheaper
budget hotel
$12.00Estimated67% cheaper
childcare preschool
$78.54Estimated95% cheaper
cinema
$5.00Estimated70% cheaper
coca cola
$0.50Estimated77% cheaper
eggs dozen
$1.98Estimated59% cheaper
gasoline liter
$1.09Estimated6% more
inexpensive meal
$4.20Estimated80% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$26.56Estimated61% cheaper
International School (Annual)
$13765.74Estimated56% cheaper
iphone
$1099.00Estimated10% more
jeans
$28.00Estimated45% cheaper
latte
$3.00Estimated44% cheaper
luxury hotel
$180.00Estimated62% cheaper
mcmeal
$3.50Estimated65% cheaper
milk liter
$1.82Estimated49% more
monthly pass
$20.56Estimated70% cheaper
nike shoes
$58.00Estimated36% cheaper
rent 1br
$257.04Estimated86% cheaper
rent 2br
$580.00Estimated87% cheaper
rent 3br
$668.31Estimated79% cheaper
subway fare
$0.25Estimated90% cheaper
taxi km
$0.26Estimated86% cheaper
utilities basic
$166.28Estimated22% cheaper

Visa Information (US passport)

Short-stay entry

visa freeUp to 30 days

US passport holders can stay up to 30 days without a visa.

Long-Term Visa Programs

Duration varies

Quick comparison FAQ

Structured from the deltas already shown on this page β€” no invented facts, no extra data sources.

How far does your money go in Quezon City compared with the US?

Your money goes about 4.2x further in Quezon City than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate.

Is Quezon City cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?

Quezon City is cheaper overall than New York City β€” overall living costs are about 68% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Quezon City.

How does rent in Quezon City compare with New York City?

Rent in Quezon City is about 93% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City).

How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Quezon City?

Groceries in Quezon City are about 62% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 79% cheaper than the same benchmark.

About Quezon City

Quezon City is the most populous city in the Philippines and part of Metro Manila, briefly serving as the national capital between 1948 and 1976 before Manila reclaimed the title. It hosts the main government complex at Batasan, the University of the Philippines Diliman campus, and the headquarters of major broadcasters including GMA and the now-shuttered ABS-CBN compound. Relocators considering QC over Makati or BGC typically weigh lower rents, a wider housing stock from condos to detached homes, and better access to academic and government employment, against longer commutes due to chronic Metro Manila traffic. English is universal in professional life. The climate is tropical with a defined wet season from June through October and typhoon exposure that shapes building and drainage standards.

Tropical climate: hot, humid, monsoon seasons May-OctoberReliable 4G/fiber available in BGC and upscale areas; inconsistent elsewhereLarge expat and digital nomad community, especially in BGC and MakatiWalkability limited; cars/Grab/public transit essentialVibrant food scene: local Filipino, international restaurants, street foodActive nightlife in BGC, Makati, Fort Bonifacio districtsMultiple coworking spaces: WeWork, Spaces, local alternatives in BGCGenerally safe in expat-friendly neighborhoods; avoid isolated areas at night