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: $1,138 in Bangkok versus $1,228 in Makati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,863 in Bangkok versus $2,025 in Makati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Bangkok versus $2,822 in Makati.

Living in Bangkok costs roughly 7% less than in Makati, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 17% lower, Makati 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ฿101

$6.57 ₱411

-53.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.64 ฿1,215

$39.99 ₱2,501

-8.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ฿246

$4.59 ₱287

61.66%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ฿98.3

$2.76 ₱173

7.25%

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

$0.67 ฿22.33

$1.07 ₱67.2

-37.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.27

$0.45 ₱28.17

-24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 ฿88.3

$2.42 ₱151

9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ฿151

$3.25 ₱203

40.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ฿66.2

$1.83 ₱115

9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ฿49.34

$1.29 ₱80.6

15.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$1.03 ₱64.3

48.54%

Eggs

$2.66 ฿88.4

$2.38 ₱149

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 ฿574

$7.31 ₱457

136.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ฿119

$4.84 ₱303

-26.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 ฿466

$7.19 ₱449

95.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ฿137

$3.98 ₱249

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ฿63.9

$2.03 ₱127

-5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 ฿94.1

$3.26 ₱204

-12.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 ฿65.0

$2.31 ₱144

-15.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ฿56.8

$3.47 ₱217

-50.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.2

$3.47 ₱217

-53.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ฿42.08

$1.12 ₱70.0

13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.63

$1.11 ₱69.4

-49.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 ฿153

$2.70 ₱169

70.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 ฿507

$7.86 ₱491

94.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.9

$1.40 ₱87.4

27.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ฿112

$2.08 ₱130

61.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ฿36.83

$0.90 ₱56.1

23.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.19 ฿1,200

$57.3 ₱3,581

-36.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ฿35.97

$0.61 ₱38.09

77.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 ฿39.32

$0.21 ₱13.10

466.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 ฿199

$1.88 ₱117

219.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.30

$1.25 ₱78.3

14.40%

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

$32.0K ฿1.1M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

50.71%

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

$27.9K ฿925.8K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

41.71%

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

$105 ฿3,484

$154 ₱9,611

-31.66%

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

$14.49 ฿481

$15.78 ₱987

-8.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 ฿616

$32.11 ₱2,008

-42.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 ฿1,975

$54.6 ₱3,413

9.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.07 ฿632

$14.41 ₱901

32.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 ฿252

$7.39 ₱462

2.98%

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

$558 ฿18.5K

$790 ₱49.4K

-29.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ฿560.4K

$7,405 ₱463.0K

128.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.7 ฿2,443

$59.8 ₱3,741

23.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 ฿1,437

$37.65 ₱2,354

15.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 ฿3,192

$82.2 ₱5,137

17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ฿3,904

$103 ₱6,468

13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ฿23.3K

$748 ₱46.8K

-5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ฿11.8K

$430 ₱26.9K

-16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ฿67.1K

$2,276 ₱142.3K

-11.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 ฿25.1K

$1,080 ₱67.5K

-29.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 ฿198.6K

$6,003 ₱375.4K

-0.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,211 ฿106.5K

$3,832 ₱239.6K

-16.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$638 ฿21.2K

$610 ₱38.1K

4.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

7.5

-28.27%

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

Last update for Bangkok: August 29, 2026

Last update for Makati: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Bangkok and $748 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Bangkok vs $40.00 in Makati. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $231, 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,138 vs $1,228 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Bangkok, 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: $704 in Bangkok versus $748 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 $37.00 versus $40.00 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,138 per month in Bangkok versus $1,228 in Makati – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,138 in Bangkok versus $1,228 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 8% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.