Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dipolog and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Dipolog: $776 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Dipolog
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Dipolog Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Dipolog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$776

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $776 per month in Dipolog vs $1,174 in Makati, rent included.

Dipolog $776
Makati $1,174

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Dipolog vs $1,962 in Makati, rent included.

Dipolog $1,132
Makati $1,962

A family of three spends $1,488 per month in Dipolog vs $2,750 in Makati, rent included.

Dipolog $1,488
Makati $2,750

Dipolog is about 34% cheaper than Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dipolog and Makati are more affordable than the global median – Dipolog 43% lower, Makati 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.53 ₱97.5

$4.72 ₱300

-67.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 ₱1,222

$26.37 ₱1,676

-27.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.07 ₱195

$4.01 ₱255

-23.44%

Cappuccino

$1.55 ₱98.7

$2.46 ₱156

-36.99%

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

$0.37 ₱23.82

$1.05 ₱66.9

-64.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.61

$0.59 ₱37.55

-61.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₱69.4

$1.16 ₱73.8

-6.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₱99.3

$2.41 ₱153

-35.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₱98.0

$1.86 ₱118

-17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$1.12 ₱71.4

-27.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₱51.2

$0.99 ₱62.6

-18.18%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱124

$2.20 ₱140

-11.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.67 ₱297

$7.51 ₱478

-37.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 ₱290

$4.63 ₱294

-1.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 ₱350

$7.01 ₱446

-21.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.9

$3.23 ₱205

-52.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ₱78.4

$1.90 ₱121

-35.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ₱127

$2.76 ₱175

-27.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.3

$0.88 ₱56.2

5.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 ₱120

$1.33 ₱84.5

42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ₱99.0

$1.38 ₱87.6

13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₱64.3

$1.87 ₱119

-45.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.23

$0.58 ₱37.03

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 ₱173

$3.03 ₱193

-10.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.04 ₱257

$9.67 ₱615

-58.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.25 ₱79.7

-8.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₱101

$2.01 ₱128

-20.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.31

$0.76 ₱48.51

-65.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.55 ₱925

$57.7 ₱3,668

-74.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ₱66.5

$0.75 ₱47.80

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱120

$1.96 ₱124

-4.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₱54.1

$1.25 ₱79.8

-32.00%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

1.45%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

1.05%

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

$67.9 ₱4,317

$111 ₱7,047

-38.74%

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

$8.09 ₱514

$16.82 ₱1,070

-51.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.89 ₱1,519

$24.00 ₱1,526

-0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.96 ₱2,032

$56.6 ₱3,599

-43.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱899

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 ₱348

$6.31 ₱401

-13.31%

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

$297 ₱18.9K

$619 ₱39.4K

-52.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,827 ₱434.1K

$5,231 ₱332.6K

30.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 ₱3,243

$55.4 ₱3,523

-7.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.96 ₱1,650

$31.32 ₱1,991

-17.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 ₱5,029

$70.0 ₱4,451

13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.8 ₱4,245

$57.8 ₱3,678

15.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 ₱26.3K

$820 ₱52.1K

-49.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ₱19.8K

$495 ₱31.4K

-37.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 ₱48.4K

$2,487 ₱158.2K

-69.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₱30.7K

$1,294 ₱82.3K

-62.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,505 ₱222.9K

$5,608 ₱356.5K

-37.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,701 ₱171.7K

$3,558 ₱226.2K

-24.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$236 ₱15.0K

$524 ₱33.3K

-55.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Dipolog: November 2, 2026

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dipolog

$311 40.1%

Makati

$495 42.1% 58.8% $183

Groceries & Markets

Dipolog

$153 19.7%

Makati

$203 17.3% 33% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Dipolog

$100 12.9%

Makati

$97 8.2% 3.7% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dipolog

$100 12.9%

Makati

$152 12.9% 51.8% $52

Eating Out

Dipolog

$51 6.6%

Makati

$97 8.2% 88.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Dipolog

$43 5.5%

Makati

$69 5.9% 61.3% $26

Getting Around

Dipolog

$18 2.3%

Makati

$62 5.3% 255% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $413 in Dipolog 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 in Makati are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dipolog versus $26 in Makati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $203 – making Dipolog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dipolog

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

Same time as Dipolog

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,759

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dipolog Makati 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dipolog
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

Dipolog vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati costs about 51% more than Dipolog, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Dipolog 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 Dipolog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $413 there versus $820 in Makati.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Dipolog and $619 in Makati. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Makati, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

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