Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Makati: $1,257 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Makati actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,257 in Makati.

Austin, TX $2,704
Makati $1,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,052 in Makati.

Austin, TX $4,133
Makati $2,052

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,847 in Makati.

Austin, TX $5,562
Makati $2,847

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 115% more expensive than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Makati is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$6.56 ₱412

208.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$40.13 ₱2,524

111.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.75 ₱299

160.00%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.65 ₱166

106.42%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.08 ₱67.8

253.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.50 ₱31.56

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.44 ₱153

230.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.10 ₱195

190.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.83 ₱115

-38.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.24 ₱77.9

204.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.01 ₱63.7

221.78%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.37 ₱149

74.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.35 ₱462

77.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.91 ₱309

191.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$6.81 ₱429

134.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.09 ₱257

7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.00 ₱126

-27.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.27 ₱206

38.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.29 ₱144

82.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.59 ₱226

-26.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.45 ₱217

-31.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.07 ₱67.2

64.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.11 ₱69.9

94.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.66 ₱167

268.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.01 ₱504

83.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.35 ₱84.7

105.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.98 ₱125

75.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.99 ₱62.0

50.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$57.4 ₱3,609

-29.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.66 ₱41.50

304.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.23 ₱14.50

586.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$1.88 ₱118

1777.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.26 ₱79.2

-21.43%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

66.75%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$19.8K ₱1.2M

37.21%

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

$219 $219

$155 ₱9,752

41.40%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$15.90 ₱1,000

264.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$32.67 ₱2,055

109.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$55.4 ₱3,482

4.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$14.51 ₱913

2.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.98 ₱439

102.44%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$783 ₱49.2K

92.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,340 ₱461.6K

192.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$59.6 ₱3,748

-13.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$37.48 ₱2,357

17.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$82.5 ₱5,185

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$102 ₱6,400

3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$828 ₱52.1K

133.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$416 ₱26.2K

205.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,318 ₱145.8K

58.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,067 ₱67.1K

136.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$6,082 ₱382.5K

25.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,765 ₱236.8K

-15.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$616 ₱38.7K

729.19%

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 Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Makati

$416 33.8% 67.3% $856

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Makati

$230 18.7% 42.8% $173

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Makati

$123 10% 64.6% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Makati

$204 16.5% 41.1% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Makati

$127 10.3% 1.7% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Makati

$69 5.6% 19.5% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Makati

$63 5.1% 10.8% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $828 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 729% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $230 per month, with Makati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

10:49 10:49 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

582,602

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Makati 13,530 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Makati

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

Austin, TX vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 729% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $828 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,257 in Makati – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Makati runs roughly 42% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,257 in Makati versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Makati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,257 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makati hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Makati are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.