The Top 15 Most Affordable Places to Buy Property in Metro Manila for 2017

Written by imoney

Whether you’re new to real estate investment or not, affordability is always an important factor for every home buyer, in the hopes of maximizing one’s hard-earned money.  The question is, how does one find and compare affordable properties without the hassle of looking into various websites and talking to multiple brokers? ZipMatch’s Data Science team has analyzed data on their website and came up with a ranking of the most affordable districts in Metro Manila.

The factors going into figuring out which enclaves in Metro Manila have the most affordable real estate include price per square meter and actual property price. As a qualitative factor, ZipMatch added in neighborhood scores. A neighborhood score factors in important amenities present in the area such as restaurants, banks, ATMs, shops, schools, hospitals, and playgrounds. Using this data, Metro Manila’s top affordable districts were then ranked based on those with the highest scores.

District	City	Price per SQM (₱)	Neighborhood score	Affordability score
Better Living Subdivision	Paranaque City	37,500	4.38	9.34
Novaliches	Quezon City	45,161	5.33	9.26
Multinational Village	Paranaque City	43,333	4.47	9.2
Fairview	Quezon City	43,678	4.95	9.19
Diliman	Quezon City	59,014	6.94	9.06
Cubao	Quezon City	59,091	6.76	8.76
Acacia Estates	Taguig City	76,563	4.55	8.64
New Manila	Quezon City	83,567	5.18	8.34
Brgy. Barangka	Mandaluyong	99,074	6.3	8.2
Greenhills	San Juan City	82,213	6.52	8.15

Better Living Subdivision

Average Price Per Square Meter: ₱37,500

2BR unit costs around ₱3.5 Million

Parañaque might seem a bit too far south for some people, but perhaps the affordability of Better Living Subdivision could change even the most stubborn of minds. When it comes to real estate investment, Better Living is as affordable as it can get, with properties averaging at ₱37,500 per square meter. It’s not as inaccessible as one thinks, either: it’s located very near the Skyway, so that central business districts like Makati and Bonifacio Global City in Taguig are just a stone’s throw away.

Compared to other neighborhoods in Parañaque, Better Living is also relatively tranquil with an upscale vibe, and boasts of a number of up-and-coming, trendy, homegrown restaurants and cafes. It’s no wonder many budding families are choosing Better Living as their ideal neighborhood.

Multinational Village

Average Price Per Square Meter: ₱43,333

3BR unit costs around ₱3.9 Million

Another area in Parañaque that ranked high in affordability is Multinational Village, which is on the other side of the city opposite Better Living. The average price per square meter for a Multinational Village property costs around ₱43,333. This village is even nearer to the airport, and shares much of the same key institutions Better Living residents enjoy, being located roughly a few ways away from each other. Multinational Village is close to SM City Sucat and is accessible via Parañaque-Sucat Road and also the Skyway.

Fairview

Average Price Per Square Meter: ₱43,678

2BR unit costs around ₱4.0 Million

Not surprisingly, Quezon City clocks in the most number of affordable neighborhoods in Metro Manila. The cheapest properties are located in Fairview. More developments are sprouting up in the area, which is seeing an influx of new condominiums, subdivisions and malls such as Ayala Fairview Terraces — a telltale sign of an enclave’s approaching rise.

Novaliches

Average Price Per Square Meter: ₱45,161

2BR unit costs around ₱3.35 Million

Data for Novaliches properties resulted with a higher affordability score than Fairview. Nevertheless, both districts are located within a few kilometers of each other, and thus feature similar amenities and levels of development. With the MRT-7 in the works, these districts are about to get even more accessible than they already are via Commonwealth Avenue.

Diliman

Average Price Per Square Meter: ₱59,014

2BR unit costs around ₱3.3 Million

Investors would find Diliman not just on the cheap side, but also lucrative especially for students and university workers such as professors looking to rent. Those who revel in that academic neighborhood feel, youthful vibe and diverse cheap eats would find Diliman a perfect place to be.

Cubao

Average Price Per Square Meter: ₱59,091

2BR unit costs around ₱5.2 Million

Cubao closely follows, at almost the same price point as Diliman, but for a more adult and artsy feel. This district prides itself with its many music and live band venues, as well as art galleries, markets and bustling malls. It is also more accessible to the central business districts.

New Manila

Average Price Per Square Meter: ₱83,567

2BR unit costs around ₱4.5 Million

New Manila comes in a bit pricier, but still counted among the most affordable Quezon City districts. Still, for such a price, one can get an upper-class feel living among some of Manila’s old rich. Spacious and quiet — that is what New Manila is known for.

Acacia Estates

Average Price Per Square Meter: ₱76,563

2BR unit costs around ₱4.3 Million

Another surprising entry to the ranking of affordable enclaves in the metro is Acacia Estates in Taguig. As one of the most rapidly developing business districts, Bonifacio Global City is known to be one of the most expensive real estate hubs in Metro Manila at the moment. Compared to Acacia Estates’ ₱76,563 per square meter, BGC properties cost a whopping ₱153,856 per square meter, and McKinley at ₱134,807 per square meter. Acacia Estates is not quite at the center of BGC, but its proximity makes it a great choice for investors, as those working in the area would find Acacia Estates a suitable place to rent a home in.

Other districts that entered ZipMatch’s ranking are Brgy. Barangka in Mandaluyong and Ermita in the capital city of Manila.

Sibyl Layag is a guest contributor from ZipMatch.com, a real estate marketplace for home seekers and property sellers.