Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $569 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
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Butuan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

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Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$569

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $569 in Butuan versus $1,230 in Makati.

Butuan $569
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $899 in Butuan versus $2,137 in Makati.

Butuan $899
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,229 in Butuan versus $3,044 in Makati.

Butuan $1,229
Makati $3,044

Living in Butuan costs roughly 54% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butuan 58% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱298

$6.40 ₱409

-27.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.45 ₱1,690

$38.45 ₱2,457

-31.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.32 ₱149

$4.78 ₱306

-51.46%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ₱131

$2.59 ₱166

-21.24%

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

$0.30 ₱19.14

$1.09 ₱69.9

-72.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₱15.34

$0.49 ₱31.39

-51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₱101

$2.39 ₱153

-33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₱151

$3.18 ₱203

-25.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱123

$1.80 ₱115

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱71.0

$1.26 ₱80.8

-11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱57.2

$1.03 ₱65.9

-12.62%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱117

$2.37 ₱151

-22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.42 ₱410

$6.91 ₱441

-7.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ₱303

$4.93 ₱315

-3.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 ₱601

$6.74 ₱431

39.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ₱170

$4.12 ₱263

-35.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$1.90 ₱122

-42.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱153

$3.19 ₱204

-24.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.6

$2.25 ₱144

-48.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 ₱126

$3.55 ₱227

-44.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 ₱218

$3.50 ₱223

-2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱75.3

$1.07 ₱68.1

10.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱44.69

$1.13 ₱71.9

-38.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₱155

$2.60 ₱166

-6.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 ₱491

$7.85 ₱502

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.3

$1.29 ₱82.6

-1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱103

$1.93 ₱124

-17.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$0.65 ₱41.59

24.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.21 ₱13.38

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.90 ₱122

1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱68.0

$1.28 ₱81.6

-17.19%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.09%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

1.39%

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

$106 ₱6,755

$151 ₱9,669

-30.14%

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

$18.42 ₱1,177

$15.59 ₱996

18.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.63 ₱1,957

$31.38 ₱2,005

-2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.59 ₱1,507

$53.3 ₱3,403

-55.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

Cinema Ticket

$4.18 ₱267

$7.22 ₱461

-42.11%

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

$106 ₱6,768

$776 ₱49.6K

-86.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,473 ₱477.5K

$7,391 ₱472.2K

1.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₱3,805

$59.9 ₱3,826

-0.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 ₱1,926

$36.96 ₱2,361

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 ₱4,410

$81.0 ₱5,177

-14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,878

$101 ₱6,446

-39.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.5

10.80%

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

Last update for Butuan: 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

Butuan

$198 34.9%

Makati

$227 18.5% 14.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butuan

$155 27.2%

Makati

$198 16.1% 28.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Butuan

$99 17.3%

Makati

$125 10.2% 27% $27

Eating Out

Butuan

$84 14.7%

Makati

$121 9.9% 45.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Butuan

$32 5.6%

Makati

$68 5.5% 112% $36

Getting Around

Butuan

$2 * 0.4%

Makati

$61 5% 2959% $59

Accommodation & Living

Butuan

- * 0%

Makati

$429 34.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $26 in Butuan vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $227 per month, with Butuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Butuan

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

Same time as Butuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,063

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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Highest

Between locations

Butuan Makati 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Butuan
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

Butuan vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $854 in Butuan and $1,845 in Makati to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $106 in Butuan versus $776 in Makati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $26 versus $38 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $569 in Butuan versus $1,230 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan 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, Butuan and Makati are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.