Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albay and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $729 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$729

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albay and in Makati

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Albay and in Makati actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $729 in Albay versus $1,228 in Makati.

Albay $729
Makati $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,108 in Albay versus $2,039 in Makati.

Albay $1,108
Makati $2,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,487 in Albay versus $2,850 in Makati.

Albay $1,487
Makati $2,850

Living in Albay costs roughly 41% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Albay 46% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ₱241

$6.44 ₱409

-41.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.81 ₱1,068

$39.89 ₱2,535

-57.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱179

$4.78 ₱304

-41.00%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱139

$2.58 ₱164

-15.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.98

$1.10 ₱70.0

-42.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.00

$0.50 ₱31.96

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ₱71.3

$2.35 ₱149

-52.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱126

$3.14 ₱199

-36.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱102

$1.90 ₱121

-15.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.3

$1.24 ₱79.0

-9.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱61.0

$1.01 ₱64.5

-4.95%

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$2.36 ₱150

-20.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.70 ₱362

$7.01 ₱446

-18.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱268

$4.93 ₱313

-14.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.95 ₱442

$6.89 ₱438

0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ₱148

$4.00 ₱254

-41.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱99.1

$1.95 ₱124

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱154

$3.23 ₱205

-25.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.6

$2.29 ₱145

-48.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$3.62 ₱230

-46.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 ₱124

$3.46 ₱220

-43.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ₱62.1

$1.11 ₱70.4

-11.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.26

$1.15 ₱73.1

-53.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ₱185

$2.67 ₱169

8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₱488

$7.89 ₱502

-2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.0

$1.33 ₱84.2

-27.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱124

$2.04 ₱130

-4.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.10

$0.92 ₱58.3

-73.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.21 ₱713

$56.2 ₱3,572

-80.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.89

$0.64 ₱40.95

15.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.63

$0.21 ₱13.32

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.86 ₱118

3.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱78.6

$1.26 ₱80.4

-1.59%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

1.26%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-0.09%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$124 ₱7,882

$153 ₱9,741

-19.08%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.06 ₱957

$15.87 ₱1,009

-5.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 ₱1,569

$32.36 ₱2,057

-23.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 ₱2,081

$54.5 ₱3,462

-39.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.58 ₱291

$14.33 ₱911

-68.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 ₱333

$7.20 ₱458

-27.22%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$131 ₱8,342

$805 ₱51.2K

-83.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,896 ₱501.8K

$7,474 ₱475.0K

5.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.24 ₱2,113

$61.5 ₱3,907

-45.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.61 ₱1,246

$36.38 ₱2,312

-46.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 ₱4,474

$81.2 ₱5,160

-13.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 ₱3,575

$105 ₱6,666

-46.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₱16.6K

$811 ₱51.6K

-67.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$417 ₱26.5K

-59.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 ₱32.5K

$2,310 ₱146.8K

-77.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₱22.3K

$1,090 ₱69.3K

-67.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,446 ₱155.4K

$6,032 ₱383.3K

-59.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$974 ₱61.9K

$3,693 ₱234.7K

-73.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 ₱10.3K

$604 ₱38.4K

-73.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.5

-9.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Albay: October 18, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Albay

$178 24.5%

Makati

$230 18.7% 28.8% $51

Accommodation & Living

Albay

$170 23.3%

Makati

$417 34% 145% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albay

$164 22.5%

Makati

$202 16.4% 23% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Albay

$81 11.1%

Makati

$128 10.4% 58.2% $47

Eating Out

Albay

$78 10.8%

Makati

$121 9.9% 54.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Albay

$43 5.9%

Makati

$69 5.6% 59.4% $26

Getting Around

Albay

$14 1.9%

Makati

$62 5% 338% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Albay and $811 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Albay vs $40 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $230 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Albay

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

Same time as Albay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,481

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Albay Makati 330 km

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Albay
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Albay vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albay and Makati differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($729 vs $1,228 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Albay. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $261 in Albay versus $811 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17 versus $40 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $729 in Albay versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.