Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dasmarinas and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Dasmarinas: $496 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Dasmarinas
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Dasmarinas Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Dasmarinas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $496 in Dasmarinas versus $1,228 in Makati.

Dasmarinas $496
Makati $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $738 in Dasmarinas versus $2,039 in Makati.

Dasmarinas $738
Makati $2,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $980 in Dasmarinas versus $2,850 in Makati.

Dasmarinas $980
Makati $2,850

Living in Dasmarinas costs roughly 60% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dasmarinas 63% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 ₱257

$6.44 ₱405

-36.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.95 ₱1,067

$39.89 ₱2,511

-57.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱171

$4.78 ₱301

-43.31%

Cappuccino

$1.75 ₱110

$2.58 ₱163

-32.17%

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

$0.57 ₱35.76

$1.10 ₱69.3

-48.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.30

$0.50 ₱31.66

-38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 ₱60.1

$2.35 ₱148

-59.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱99.4

$3.14 ₱197

-49.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₱87.5

$1.90 ₱119

-26.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.5

$1.24 ₱78.3

-11.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.36

$1.01 ₱63.9

-34.65%

Eggs

$1.79 ₱113

$2.36 ₱149

-24.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 ₱311

$7.01 ₱442

-29.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ₱219

$4.93 ₱310

-29.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.72 ₱297

$6.89 ₱434

-31.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$4.00 ₱252

-43.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱102

$1.95 ₱123

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$3.23 ₱203

-26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.3

$2.29 ₱144

-53.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.62 ₱228

-51.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$3.46 ₱218

-50.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.39

$1.11 ₱69.8

-45.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.54

$1.15 ₱72.5

-54.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₱181

$2.67 ₱168

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 ₱541

$7.89 ₱497

8.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱58.5

$1.33 ₱83.4

-30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$2.04 ₱128

-2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ₱57.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 ₱3,539

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.96

$0.64 ₱40.57

21.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$0.21 ₱13.20

19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.86 ₱117

-0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱70.1

$1.26 ₱79.6

-11.90%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

2.09%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-0.16%

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

$48.45 ₱3,050

$153 ₱9,651

-68.39%

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

$17.55 ₱1,105

$15.87 ₱999

10.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.72 ₱1,494

$32.36 ₱2,038

-26.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.43 ₱2,105

$54.5 ₱3,430

-38.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.33 ₱902

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 ₱334

$7.20 ₱453

-26.39%

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

$134 ₱8,415

$805 ₱50.7K

-83.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱674.0K

$7,474 ₱470.6K

43.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.53 ₱1,796

$61.5 ₱3,871

-53.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.55 ₱1,231

$36.38 ₱2,291

-46.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ₱4,561

$81.2 ₱5,112

-10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,552

$105 ₱6,604

-46.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ₱51.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$46.95 ₱2,956

$417 ₱26.3K

-88.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 ₱145.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 ₱68.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,032 ₱379.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 ₱232.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$353 ₱22.2K

$604 ₱38.0K

-41.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

7.5

-14.67%

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

Last update for Dasmarinas: October 18, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dasmarinas

$160 32.3%

Makati

$230 18.7% 43.5% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dasmarinas

$90 18.1%

Makati

$202 16.4% 125% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Dasmarinas

$80 16.1%

Makati

$128 10.4% 60.5% $48

Eating Out

Dasmarinas

$73 14.8%

Makati

$121 9.9% 65.6% $48

Accommodation & Living

Dasmarinas

$47 9.5%

Makati

$417 34% 789% $370

Sport & Entertainment

Dasmarinas

$44 8.9%

Makati

$69 5.6% 56.5% $25

Getting Around

Dasmarinas

$2 * 0.4%

Makati

$62 5% 2933% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

Makati pays 71% 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: $17.00 in Dasmarinas vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $230 per month, with Dasmarinas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dasmarinas

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

Same time as Dasmarinas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

659,019

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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Highest

Between locations

Dasmarinas Makati 27 km

From you

Dasmarinas
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

Dasmarinas vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dasmarinas and Makati differ by about 148% in total monthly costs ($496 vs $1,228 including rent). Dasmarinas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 71% 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.

Childcare runs $134 in Dasmarinas versus $805 in Makati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dasmarinas – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $40.00 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $496 in Dasmarinas versus $1,228 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dasmarinas but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Dasmarinas 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, Dasmarinas 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 Dasmarinas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.