Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boracay and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Boracay: $915 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
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Boracay Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Boracay versus $1,230 in Makati.

Boracay $915
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,349 in Boracay versus $2,137 in Makati.

Boracay $1,349
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,783 in Boracay versus $3,044 in Makati.

Boracay $1,783
Makati $3,044

Living in Boracay costs roughly 26% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Boracay 33% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 ₱340

$6.40 ₱409

-17.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.68 ₱1,195

$38.45 ₱2,460

-51.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ₱382

$4.78 ₱306

24.90%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ₱148

$2.59 ₱166

-10.42%

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

$0.69 ₱44.18

$1.09 ₱70.0

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱14.03

$0.49 ₱31.43

-55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ₱76.2

$2.39 ₱153

-50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱129

$3.18 ₱203

-36.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 ₱187

$1.80 ₱115

62.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ₱81.5

$1.26 ₱80.9

0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱57.5

$1.03 ₱66.0

-12.62%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱121

$2.37 ₱152

-20.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 ₱322

$6.91 ₱442

-27.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 ₱249

$4.93 ₱316

-21.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.49 ₱415

$6.74 ₱431

-3.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₱147

$4.12 ₱263

-44.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱96.1

$1.90 ₱122

-21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₱130

$3.19 ₱204

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$2.25 ₱144

-42.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$3.55 ₱227

-38.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 ₱137

$3.50 ₱224

-38.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱58.7

$1.07 ₱68.2

-14.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.48

$1.13 ₱72.0

-47.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 ₱147

$2.60 ₱166

-11.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₱487

$7.85 ₱502

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱57.3

$1.29 ₱82.7

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₱126

$1.93 ₱124

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.06

$0.88 ₱56.5

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 ₱683

$56.3 ₱3,600

-81.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱42.45

$0.65 ₱41.66

1.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.24

$0.21 ₱13.40

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 ₱113

$1.90 ₱122

-7.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱70.4

$1.28 ₱81.7

-14.06%

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

$22.9K ₱1.5M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

10.07%

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

$20.3K ₱1.3M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

7.50%

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

$109 ₱6,945

$151 ₱9,684

-28.29%

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

$15.54 ₱994

$15.59 ₱997

-0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.36 ₱2,135

$31.38 ₱2,008

6.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 ₱2,143

$53.3 ₱3,409

-37.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.90 ₱314

$14.04 ₱899

-65.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 ₱334

$7.22 ₱462

-27.84%

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

$141 ₱8,997

$776 ₱49.6K

-81.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,871 ₱503.6K

$7,391 ₱472.9K

6.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.63 ₱1,768

$59.9 ₱3,832

-53.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.45 ₱1,181

$36.96 ₱2,365

-50.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.3 ₱4,304

$81.0 ₱5,185

-16.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.7 ₱3,309

$101 ₱6,456

-48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.9K

$829 ₱53.0K

-70.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₱21.6K

$429 ₱27.4K

-21.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₱31.3K

$2,151 ₱137.6K

-77.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₱37.7K

$1,308 ₱83.7K

-55.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,586 ₱165.4K

$5,714 ₱365.6K

-54.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,129 ₱72.2K

$3,568 ₱228.3K

-68.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 ₱14.7K

$587 ₱37.6K

-60.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.5

-7.73%

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

Last update for Boracay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boracay

$337 36.8%

Makati

$429 34.8% 27.1% $91

Groceries & Markets

Boracay

$187 20.5%

Makati

$227 18.5% 21.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boracay

$157 17.2%

Makati

$198 16.1% 26% $41

Eating Out

Boracay

$102 11.1%

Makati

$121 9.9% 19.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Boracay

$74 8.1%

Makati

$125 10.2% 68.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Boracay

$44 4.8%

Makati

$68 5.5% 54.2% $24

Getting Around

Boracay

$13 1.5%

Makati

$61 5% 359% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Boracay and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Boracay vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $227 per month, with Boracay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Boracay

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

Same time as Boracay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,296

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Boracay vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boracay and Makati differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($915 vs $1,230 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Boracay. 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: $248 in Boracay versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19 versus $38 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $915 in Boracay versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay 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, Boracay 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 Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.