Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cainta and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Cainta: $716 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cainta
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Cainta Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Cainta

🇵🇭 Philippines

$716

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $716 per month in Cainta vs $1,174 in Makati, rent included.

Cainta $716
Makati $1,174

A couple spends around $1,092 per month in Cainta vs $1,962 in Makati, rent included.

Cainta $1,092
Makati $1,962

A family of three spends $1,468 per month in Cainta vs $2,750 in Makati, rent included.

Cainta $1,468
Makati $2,750

Cainta is about 39% cheaper than Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cainta and Makati are more affordable than the global median – Cainta 47% lower, Makati 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ₱241

$4.72 ₱297

-19.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.38 ₱1,031

$26.37 ₱1,660

-37.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.83 ₱178

$4.01 ₱253

-29.43%

Cappuccino

$2.42 ₱152

$2.46 ₱155

-1.63%

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

$1.20 ₱75.4

$1.05 ₱66.2

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.15

$0.59 ₱37.17

-49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ₱74.6

$1.16 ₱73.1

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₱151

$2.41 ₱152

-0.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱100.0

$1.86 ₱117

-14.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.2

$1.12 ₱70.7

-1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.3

$0.99 ₱62.0

-3.03%

Eggs

$2.26 ₱142

$2.20 ₱138

2.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 ₱292

$7.51 ₱473

-38.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ₱216

$4.63 ₱291

-25.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.91 ₱435

$7.01 ₱441

-1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ₱137

$3.23 ₱203

-32.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₱94.8

$1.90 ₱120

-20.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.76 ₱173

-13.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₱66.2

$0.88 ₱55.6

19.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$1.33 ₱83.7

29.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱110

$1.38 ₱86.7

26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ₱54.6

$1.87 ₱118

-53.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.28

$0.58 ₱36.66

-17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$3.03 ₱191

-3.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱535

$9.67 ₱609

-12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.4

$1.25 ₱78.9

-23.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱127

$2.01 ₱127

0.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.83

$0.76 ₱48.03

-71.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$57.7 ₱3,631

-78.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.49

$0.75 ₱47.33

2.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.60

$0.20 ₱12.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱115

$1.96 ₱123

-6.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱74.8

$1.25 ₱79.0

-4.80%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

1.07%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

0.71%

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

$121 ₱7,626

$111 ₱6,977

9.30%

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

$15.60 ₱982

$16.82 ₱1,059

-7.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.62 ₱1,424

$24.00 ₱1,511

-5.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 ₱1,965

$56.6 ₱3,563

-44.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.28 ₱333

$14.14 ₱890

-62.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.20 ₱327

$6.31 ₱397

-17.59%

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

$129 ₱8,151

$619 ₱39.0K

-79.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,741 ₱550.2K

$5,231 ₱329.3K

67.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.98 ₱1,761

$55.4 ₱3,488

-49.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.91 ₱1,190

$31.32 ₱1,971

-39.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ₱4,459

$70.0 ₱4,406

1.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 ₱3,411

$57.8 ₱3,641

-6.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 ₱16.0K

$820 ₱51.6K

-68.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.6K

$495 ₱31.1K

-66.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₱30.4K

$2,487 ₱156.6K

-80.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ₱22.3K

$1,294 ₱81.5K

-72.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,677 ₱168.5K

$5,608 ₱353.0K

-52.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,110 ₱69.9K

$3,558 ₱224.0K

-68.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$418 ₱26.3K

$524 ₱33.0K

-20.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-3.57%

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

Last update for Cainta: November 3, 2026

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cainta

$170 23.7%

Makati

$203 17.3% 19.5% $33

Accommodation & Living

Cainta

$168 23.5%

Makati

$495 42.1% 194% $327

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cainta

$159 22.3%

Makati

$152 12.9% 4.8% $7.7

Eating Out

Cainta

$85 11.8%

Makati

$97 8.2% 13.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Cainta

$77 10.8%

Makati

$97 8.2% 24.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cainta

$42 5.8%

Makati

$69 5.9% 66.4% $28

Getting Around

Cainta

$15 2.1%

Makati

$62 5.3% 311% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $255 in Cainta versus $820 in Makati. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Makati, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Cainta versus $26 in Makati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $203 – making Cainta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cainta

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

Same time as Cainta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,128

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cainta Makati 11 km

From you

Cainta
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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

Cainta vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Makati is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,075 per month in Cainta and $1,761 in Makati. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cainta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $255 there versus $820 in Makati.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Cainta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $129 per month in Cainta and $619 in Makati. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cainta, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Makati at $1,174. In Cainta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cainta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Cainta. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Makati makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.