Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davao and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $839 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Davao versus $1,230 in Makati.

Davao $839
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Davao versus $2,137 in Makati.

Davao $1,275
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,712 in Davao versus $3,044 in Makati.

Davao $1,712
Makati $3,044

Living in Davao costs roughly 32% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Davao 38% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.71 ₱300

$6.40 ₱407

-26.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.33 ₱1,677

$38.45 ₱2,449

-31.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.83 ₱244

$4.78 ₱305

-19.87%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.59 ₱165

-2.32%

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

$1.06 ₱67.5

$1.09 ₱69.7

-2.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₱39.75

$0.49 ₱31.29

26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ₱97.3

$2.39 ₱152

-35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱151

$3.18 ₱202

-25.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱125

$1.80 ₱115

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱68.2

$1.26 ₱80.6

-15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱58.1

$1.03 ₱65.6

-11.65%

Eggs

$1.84 ₱117

$2.37 ₱151

-22.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱408

$6.91 ₱440

-7.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₱293

$4.93 ₱314

-6.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 ₱572

$6.74 ₱429

33.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱171

$4.12 ₱262

-34.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.5

$1.90 ₱121

-44.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 ₱155

$3.19 ₱203

-23.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱72.5

$2.25 ₱143

-49.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 ₱126

$3.55 ₱226

-43.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ₱214

$3.50 ₱223

-4.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.9

$1.07 ₱67.9

15.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱45.16

$1.13 ₱71.7

-37.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₱157

$2.60 ₱165

-5.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ₱509

$7.85 ₱500

1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$1.29 ₱82.3

-1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱101

$1.93 ₱123

-18.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.88 ₱56.3

-76.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.16 ₱838

$56.3 ₱3,583

-76.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.5

$0.65 ₱41.46

24.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.37

$0.21 ₱13.33

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱117

$1.90 ₱121

-3.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.4

$1.28 ₱81.4

-4.69%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.58%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

0.96%

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

$105 ₱6,681

$151 ₱9,639

-30.69%

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

$19.14 ₱1,219

$15.59 ₱993

22.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.17 ₱1,921

$31.38 ₱1,999

-3.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 ₱2,189

$53.3 ₱3,393

-35.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.44 ₱219

$14.04 ₱894

-75.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ₱303

$7.22 ₱460

-34.21%

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

$104 ₱6,643

$776 ₱49.4K

-86.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,536 ₱480.0K

$7,391 ₱470.7K

1.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 ₱3,888

$59.9 ₱3,814

1.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.74 ₱1,958

$36.96 ₱2,354

-16.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ₱4,438

$81.0 ₱5,161

-14.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 ₱3,827

$101 ₱6,426

-40.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$829 ₱52.8K

-57.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₱14.6K

$429 ₱27.3K

-46.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 ₱46.0K

$2,151 ₱137.0K

-66.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 ₱25.7K

$1,308 ₱83.3K

-69.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 ₱100.9K

$5,714 ₱363.9K

-72.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 ₱86.9K

$3,568 ₱227.3K

-61.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 ₱13.2K

$587 ₱37.4K

-64.73%

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 Davao: October 26, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Davao

$229 27.3%

Makati

$429 34.8% 87% $199

Groceries & Markets

Davao

$197 23.5%

Makati

$227 18.5% 15.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davao

$154 18.4%

Makati

$198 16.1% 28.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Davao

$100 11.9%

Makati

$125 10.2% 25.8% $26

Eating Out

Davao

$99 11.8%

Makati

$121 9.9% 23% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Davao

$44 5.2%

Makati

$68 5.5% 54.3% $24

Getting Around

Davao

$16 1.9%

Makati

$61 5% 284% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Davao and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Davao vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $227 per month, with Davao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Davao

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

Same time as Davao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,632,991

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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Between locations

Davao Makati 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Davao
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

Davao vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Davao. 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: $350 in Davao versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you’ll spend $839 per month in Davao versus $1,230 in Makati – Davao is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $839 in Davao versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Davao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Makati, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Davao and Makati are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Davao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.