Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Makati Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Makati

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,068 in Bangkok versus $1,232 in Makati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Bangkok versus $2,009 in Makati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,396 in Bangkok versus $2,786 in Makati.

Living in Bangkok costs roughly 13% less than in Makati, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 20% lower, Makati 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.17 ฿103

$6.80 ₱419

-53.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.33 ฿991

$45.15 ₱2,784

-32.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 ฿205

$4.93 ₱304

27.18%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ฿81.9

$2.87 ₱177

-12.54%

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

$0.68 ฿22.34

$1.19 ₱73.5

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿8.79

$0.56 ₱34.76

-51.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.6

$2.44 ₱151

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 ฿129

$3.66 ₱225

7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$2.14 ₱132

-15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿45.38

$1.43 ₱88.4

-2.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.22

$1.08 ₱66.5

31.48%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿73.8

$2.34 ₱144

-3.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.40 ฿601

$8.16 ₱503

125.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.4

$4.43 ₱273

-32.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.38 ฿306

$7.64 ₱471

22.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 ฿116

$4.57 ₱282

-22.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ฿57.6

$1.92 ₱118

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.70 ₱166

-18.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ฿59.9

$2.25 ₱139

-18.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$3.29 ₱203

-50.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.88

$2.86 ₱177

-47.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ฿42.67

$1.08 ₱66.8

21.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.10

$0.99 ₱61.3

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿139

$2.94 ₱181

44.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 ฿490

$8.28 ₱511

81.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.9

$1.20 ₱74.1

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.34 ₱144

44.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ฿39.00

$0.51 ₱31.71

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.43 ฿1,190

$3.58 ₱221

917.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ฿35.84

$0.81 ₱50.0

35.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿39.07

$0.12 ₱7.44

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 ฿200

$3.58 ₱221

71.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ฿40.88

$1.10 ₱67.8

13.64%

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

$37.3K ฿1.2M

$34.3K ₱2.1M

8.91%

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

$28.6K ฿934.5K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

33.10%

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

$91.9 ฿3,000

$172 ₱10.6K

-46.61%

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

$12.96 ฿423

$26.94 ₱1,661

-51.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.67 ฿577

$36.49 ₱2,250

-51.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ฿1,759

$56.0 ₱3,452

-3.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 ฿349

$11.79 ₱727

-9.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ฿258

$7.90 ₱487

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

$601 ฿19.6K

$321 ₱19.8K

87.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ฿432.6K

$7,538 ₱464.8K

75.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ฿1,863

$60.3 ₱3,717

-5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 ฿1,250

$35.62 ₱2,197

7.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ฿3,376

$85.6 ₱5,277

20.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ฿3,103

$122 ₱7,516

-22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 ฿21.9K

$666 ₱41.1K

0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ฿10.7K

$390 ₱24.0K

-16.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 ฿61.3K

$2,260 ₱139.4K

-16.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 ฿27.5K

$1,024 ₱63.1K

-17.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,307 ฿206.0K

$6,010 ₱370.6K

4.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,371 ฿110.1K

$3,852 ₱237.5K

-12.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 ฿24.4K

$682 ₱42.0K

9.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.67

-12.44%

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

Last update for Bangkok: May 31, 2026

Last update for Makati: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $669 in Bangkok and $666 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Bangkok vs $45.00 in Makati. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $234, with Makati cheaper for home cooking.

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

Bangkok vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Makati differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,068 vs $1,232 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bangkok pays 10% more on average, 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: $669 in Bangkok versus $666 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bangkok – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $45.00 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,068 per month in Bangkok versus $1,232 in Makati – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,068 in Bangkok versus $1,232 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bangkok but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Bangkok 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.

Safety-wise, Bangkok 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 Bangkok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.