Poor Filipino Couple Real Life, Small Rental Room Living in Manila 🇵🇭

A $10 Date in Metro Manila

Jade and Earn, a couple of three years, share a tiny, zero-bedroom rental in Metro Manila. Earn works night shifts at a call center, and they get by on his single income. On their night off, they head out for a date with a $10 budget.

The Evening

They take public transit to Manila City Hall, paying 30 pesos—about 50 cents—for the ride. The journey gives them time to catch up and unwind together.

Near City Hall and its KKK monument, they visit a local food park and share a mango-banana shake for about 70 cents. They sit and listen to street buskers, but the food stalls are closing by 10 p.m.

For dinner, they return to their neighborhood and visit a barbecue house that’s open around the clock. Two barbecue sticks and rice cost $4.30. While they wait, they drink the complimentary hot broth and share the generous rice portion.

On the walk home, they stop at a convenience store and buy a new apple-pie ice cream flavor to share for $2.75. Back at their apartment, they enjoy the ice cream while watching The Office.

Total

Their evening costs $9.75, including transit, the shake, dinner, and dessert—just under budget.

Their Takeaway

Jade and Earn say that living together in a small space doesn’t automatically mean spending meaningful time together. They believe it takes intentional effort to make time for dates and connection, and that a relationship can be cared for without spending much.