Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bataan and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Bataan: $484 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Bataan
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Bataan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Bataan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$484

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $484 in Bataan versus $1,230 in Makati.

Bataan $484
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $808 in Bataan versus $2,137 in Makati.

Bataan $808
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,132 in Bataan versus $3,044 in Makati.

Bataan $1,132
Makati $3,044

Living in Bataan costs roughly 61% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bataan 64% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.35 ₱86.6

$6.40 ₱409

-78.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.58 ₱1,059

$38.45 ₱2,457

-56.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.67 ₱171

$4.78 ₱306

-44.14%

Cappuccino

$1.30 ₱83.1

$2.59 ₱166

-49.81%

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

$0.58 ₱37.13

$1.09 ₱69.9

-46.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱14.03

$0.49 ₱31.39

-55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.8

$2.39 ₱153

-58.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱99.0

$3.18 ₱203

-51.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₱100

$1.80 ₱115

-12.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱70.4

$1.26 ₱80.8

-12.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.6

$1.03 ₱65.9

-1.94%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱112

$2.37 ₱151

-26.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 ₱326

$6.91 ₱441

-26.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ₱189

$4.93 ₱315

-40.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 ₱486

$6.74 ₱431

12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ₱143

$4.12 ₱263

-45.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₱97.3

$1.90 ₱122

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$3.19 ₱204

-29.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.4

$2.25 ₱144

-52.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 ₱105

$3.55 ₱227

-53.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 ₱107

$3.50 ₱223

-52.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₱38.38

$1.07 ₱68.1

-43.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.50

$1.13 ₱71.9

-53.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 ₱139

$2.60 ₱166

-16.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₱537

$7.85 ₱502

7.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.7

$1.29 ₱82.6

-24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱129

$1.93 ₱124

4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.22

$0.88 ₱56.4

-72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.16 ₱713

$56.3 ₱3,595

-80.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱48.08

$0.65 ₱41.59

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.37

$0.21 ₱13.38

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.90 ₱122

-3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱66.0

$1.28 ₱81.6

-19.53%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.72%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-1.08%

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

$47.28 ₱3,021

$151 ₱9,669

-68.76%

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

$17.49 ₱1,117

$15.59 ₱996

12.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.85 ₱1,460

$31.38 ₱2,005

-27.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.23 ₱1,996

$53.3 ₱3,403

-41.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 ₱359

$14.04 ₱897

-60.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₱320

$7.22 ₱461

-30.61%

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

$65.6 ₱4,190

$776 ₱49.6K

-91.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱683.0K

$7,391 ₱472.2K

44.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.82 ₱1,778

$59.9 ₱3,826

-53.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.07 ₱1,218

$36.96 ₱2,361

-48.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 ₱4,422

$81.0 ₱5,177

-14.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 ₱3,565

$101 ₱6,446

-44.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 ₱10.3K

$829 ₱53.0K

-80.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.0 ₱3,197

$429 ₱27.4K

-88.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₱17.5K

$2,151 ₱137.4K

-87.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.3K

$1,308 ₱83.6K

-86.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,553 ₱163.1K

$5,714 ₱365.1K

-55.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,066 ₱68.1K

$3,568 ₱228.0K

-70.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$389 ₱24.9K

$587 ₱37.5K

-33.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Bataan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bataan

$168 34.7%

Makati

$227 18.5% 35.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bataan

$88 18.1%

Makati

$198 16.1% 126% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Bataan

$77 16%

Makati

$125 10.2% 62.2% $48

Accommodation & Living

Bataan

$50 10.3%

Makati

$429 34.8% 756% $378

Eating Out

Bataan

$46 9.5%

Makati

$121 9.9% 165% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Bataan

$41 8.5%

Makati

$68 5.5% 64.1% $26

Getting Around

Bataan

$14 2.9%

Makati

$61 5% 337% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $161 in Bataan and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 51% 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: $17 in Bataan vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $227 per month, with Bataan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bataan

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Bataan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,743

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bataan Makati 54 km

From you

Bataan
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

Bataan vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bataan is about 61% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Bataan. 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: $161 in Bataan versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bataan – a meal for two runs $17 versus $38 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $484 in Bataan versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bataan but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Bataan 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 Bataan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.