Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calamba and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $518 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Calamba
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Calamba Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$518

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Calamba versus $1,228 in Makati.

Calamba $518
Makati $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $764 in Calamba versus $2,028 in Makati.

Calamba $764
Makati $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,010 in Calamba versus $2,828 in Makati.

Calamba $1,010
Makati $2,828

Living in Calamba costs roughly 58% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Calamba 62% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱247

$6.22 ₱392

-36.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.02 ₱757

$39.57 ₱2,491

-69.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱178

$4.88 ₱307

-42.21%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ₱113

$2.55 ₱161

-29.80%

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

$0.56 ₱35.44

$1.06 ₱67.0

-47.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.06

$0.50 ₱31.54

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱59.5

$2.38 ₱150

-60.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱97.7

$3.21 ₱202

-51.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.90 ₱120

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.1

$1.29 ₱81.5

-13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.0

$1.06 ₱67.0

-8.49%

Eggs

$2.00 ₱126

$2.47 ₱155

-19.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.20 ₱327

$7.29 ₱459

-28.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ₱214

$4.86 ₱306

-30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 ₱491

$7.03 ₱442

10.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$4.04 ₱254

-42.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.94 ₱122

-20.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱151

$3.22 ₱203

-25.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱66.9

$2.29 ₱144

-53.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱109

$3.48 ₱219

-50.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.59 ₱226

-50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.68

$1.06 ₱66.8

-42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.10

$1.11 ₱69.7

-55.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱184

$2.69 ₱169

8.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 ₱558

$8.11 ₱511

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.3

$1.32 ₱82.9

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₱132

$1.98 ₱124

6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.9

$0.67 ₱41.91

22.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.75

$0.21 ₱13.16

19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱119

$1.93 ₱121

-2.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₱58.7

$1.25 ₱78.8

-25.60%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

-0.59%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

-2.81%

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

$139 ₱8,759

$153 ₱9,620

-8.95%

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

$17.36 ₱1,093

$16.06 ₱1,011

8.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 ₱1,502

$32.37 ₱2,038

-26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 ₱317

$7.22 ₱454

-30.19%

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

$130 ₱8,193

$794 ₱50.0K

-83.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱668.9K

$7,321 ₱460.9K

45.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.54 ₱1,797

$61.2 ₱3,850

-53.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.73 ₱1,242

$36.86 ₱2,321

-46.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,468

$81.5 ₱5,129

-12.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,482

$103 ₱6,510

-46.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$260 ₱16.4K

$601 ₱37.9K

-56.79%

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 Calamba: October 12, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calamba

$180 34.8%

Makati

$201 16.4% 11.6% $21

Groceries & Markets

Calamba

$175 33.7%

Makati

$231 18.8% 32.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Calamba

$79 15.2%

Makati

$127 10.4% 62.1% $49

Eating Out

Calamba

$73 14%

Makati

$120 9.7% 64.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Calamba

$10 * 1.9%

Makati

$69 5.6% 588% $59

Getting Around

Calamba

$2.1 * 0.4%

Makati

$62 5.1% 2885% $60

Accommodation & Living

Calamba

- * 0%

Makati

$417 34%

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

Cost Breakdown

Makati pays 131% 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: $12.00 in Calamba vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $231 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Calamba

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

Same time as Calamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

539,671

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Calamba Makati 42 km

From you

Calamba
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

Calamba vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 137% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 131% lower in Makati. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $518 per month in Calamba versus $1,228 in Makati – a 137% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $518 in Calamba versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $518 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.