Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacolod and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $607 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bacolod
Learn more

Bacolod Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

Jump to prices

Bacolod

🇵🇭 Philippines

$607

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Bacolod vs $1,228 in Makati, rent included.

Bacolod $607
Makati $1,228

A couple spends around $885 per month in Bacolod vs $2,028 in Makati, rent included.

Bacolod $885
Makati $2,028

A family of three spends $1,162 per month in Bacolod vs $2,828 in Makati, rent included.

Bacolod $1,162
Makati $2,828

Bacolod is about 51% cheaper than Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bacolod and Makati are more affordable than the global median – Bacolod 55% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 ₱147

$6.22 ₱392

-62.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 ₱810

$39.57 ₱2,491

-67.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 ₱254

$4.88 ₱307

-17.42%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱155

$2.55 ₱161

-3.53%

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

$0.70 ₱43.96

$1.06 ₱67.0

-33.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.61

$0.50 ₱31.54

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$2.38 ₱150

-42.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.21 ₱202

-44.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.90 ₱120

-15.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.2

$1.29 ₱81.5

-10.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.0

$1.06 ₱67.0

-10.38%

Eggs

$1.66 ₱105

$2.47 ₱155

-32.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 ₱561

$7.29 ₱459

22.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 ₱437

$4.86 ₱306

43.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ₱212

$4.04 ₱254

-16.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$1.94 ₱122

24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₱33.60

$2.29 ₱144

-76.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ₱126

$3.59 ₱226

-44.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₱64.8

$1.11 ₱69.7

-7.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 ₱175

$2.69 ₱169

2.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.4

$1.32 ₱82.9

-31.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₱11.18

$0.90 ₱56.4

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₱38.66

$0.67 ₱41.91

-8.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.5

$1.25 ₱78.8

2.40%

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

$22.1K ₱1.4M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

3.77%

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

$24.0K ₱1.5M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

22.67%

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

$137 ₱8,646

$153 ₱9,620

-10.12%

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

$7.99 ₱503

$16.06 ₱1,011

-50.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 ₱1,776

$32.37 ₱2,038

-12.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.87 ₱999

$54.9 ₱3,456

-71.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.44 ₱153

$14.14 ₱890

-82.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 ₱275

$7.22 ₱454

-39.47%

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

$31.23 ₱1,966

$794 ₱50.0K

-96.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₱16.8K

$815 ₱51.3K

-67.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₱11.2K

$417 ₱26.3K

-57.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ₱29.9K

$2,274 ₱143.2K

-79.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ₱21.8K

$1,069 ₱67.3K

-67.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 ₱13.0K

$601 ₱37.9K

-65.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

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

Last update for Bacolod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bacolod

$178 29.4%

Makati

$417 34% 134% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacolod

$174 28.6%

Makati

$201 16.4% 16% $28

Groceries & Markets

Bacolod

$155 * 25.5%

Makati

$231 18.8% 49.7% $77

Eating Out

Bacolod

$75 12.4%

Makati

$120 9.7% 59.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Bacolod

$25 4.1%

Makati

$69 5.6% 182% $45

Getting Around

Bacolod

$1.3 * 0.2%

Makati

$62 5.1% 4603% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Bacolod

- * 0%

Makati

$127 10.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Bacolod versus $815 in Makati. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 192% higher in Makati, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod versus $40.00 in Makati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $231 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bacolod

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

Same time as Bacolod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

561,875

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bacolod Makati 480 km

From you

Bacolod
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

Bacolod vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $607 in Bacolod, $1,228 in Makati – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Bacolod and $1,842 in Makati. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacolod, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod and $40.00 in Makati. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Makati, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Makati at $1,228. In Bacolod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bacolod has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in Bacolod to $1,228 in Makati. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bacolod. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Makati makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.