MANILA, Philippines – In recent years, lovebirds have been more mindful of costs when planning their romantic outings amid inflation.

This year, however, prices have steadied, easing the once-soaring expenses. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that inflation has cooled.

For those going on a date on Valentine’s Day, they might be happy to learn that restaurant inflation has eased to 5.4% as of end-January, softer than the 7.7% the same month a year ago. Accommodation service eased to 2.7% from 4.5%, while salons and personal grooming cooled to 5.1% from 7.1%.

Heading to that romantic restaurant has eased as well amid somewhat stable gas prices, with overall transport inflation inching up to just 0.4% from 11.1% last year.

If you intend to cook for your special someone this Valentine's Day, it would be more cost-efficient to do so.

Meat and vegetable prices have deflated to -0.7% and -20.8%, respectively.

Meanwhile, chocolates and wine prices have remained steady for the past years.

Prices of flowers and stuffed toys remained quite varied, depending on the quality and quantity you intend to give to your loved one.

One red rose from Flowerstore.ph will cost P899, while white and pink roses cost less. Stuffed toys from Blue Magic are quite reasonable, with the cheapest at P379.

If you feel that Valentine's Day is the best time to propose, it will be quite expensive. For those planning to buy 99 red roses, the cost is P12,699, while the ultimate proposal bundle, which has various flower arrangements, costs P13,499.

If you want to give 200 red roses, that will cost you a whopping P25,499.

For those planning to go to love hotels after a date, the average cost of a standard room in Victoria Court is at P1,470. The cheapest room in Sogo is P1,195.

Victoria Court's thematic room, which features interiors resembling the Moulin Rouge, will cost you and your partner over P5,000. Sogo's executive garage suite is at P2,020.

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Condom prices vary per brand. Trust remains to be the cheapest, with a pack of three condoms at P30 to P40.25, according to prices posted by Watson's.

The cheapest Durex condoms cost P45.75, while the thin and ribbed condom variant is priced at P183.25.

The most affordable condom offering of Premiere costs P94.25, while its glow in the dark condoms sells for P149.

A box of birth control pills ranges between P59 to P905, depending on the brand. Pregnancy tests cost between P48 to P175.

– Rappler.com