Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dumaguete and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Dumaguete: $791 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
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Dumaguete Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$791

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in Dumaguete versus $1,228 in Makati.

Dumaguete $791
Makati $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,202 in Dumaguete versus $2,028 in Makati.

Dumaguete $1,202
Makati $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,612 in Dumaguete versus $2,828 in Makati.

Dumaguete $1,612
Makati $2,828

Living in Dumaguete costs roughly 36% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dumaguete 41% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 ₱242

$6.22 ₱392

-38.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 ₱1,020

$39.57 ₱2,491

-59.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.17 ₱262

$4.88 ₱307

-14.55%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₱143

$2.55 ₱161

-10.98%

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

$0.72 ₱45.42

$1.06 ₱67.0

-32.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₱27.45

$0.50 ₱31.54

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₱84.2

$2.38 ₱150

-43.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₱117

$3.21 ₱202

-42.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.90 ₱120

-15.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ₱83.9

$1.29 ₱81.5

3.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.6

$1.06 ₱67.0

-10.38%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$2.47 ₱155

-29.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 ₱528

$7.29 ₱459

15.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 ₱277

$4.86 ₱306

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱441

$7.03 ₱442

-0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$4.04 ₱254

-59.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ₱82.0

$1.94 ₱122

-32.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 ₱221

$3.22 ₱203

9.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$2.29 ₱144

-45.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ₱153

$3.48 ₱219

-30.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ₱98.8

$3.59 ₱226

-56.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ₱49.58

$1.06 ₱66.8

-25.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.27

$1.11 ₱69.7

-51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.69 ₱169

-13.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.84 ₱557

$8.11 ₱511

9.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₱75.7

$1.32 ₱82.9

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱79.1

$1.98 ₱124

-36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₱25.84

$0.90 ₱56.4

-54.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.09 ₱635

$56.8 ₱3,575

-82.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.64

$0.67 ₱41.91

2.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₱10.41

$0.21 ₱13.16

-19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₱138

$1.93 ₱121

13.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱66.7

$1.25 ₱78.8

-15.20%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

-1.75%

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

$24.1K ₱1.5M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

23.37%

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

$67.1 ₱4,227

$153 ₱9,620

-56.06%

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

$10.05 ₱632

$16.06 ₱1,011

-37.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.78 ₱1,623

$32.37 ₱2,038

-20.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.76 ₱1,496

$54.9 ₱3,456

-56.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.06 ₱256

$14.14 ₱890

-71.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 ₱455

$7.22 ₱454

0.14%

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

$57.8 ₱3,639

$794 ₱50.0K

-92.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,698 ₱106.9K

$7,321 ₱460.9K

-76.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 ₱5,945

$61.2 ₱3,850

54.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.11 ₱2,022

$36.86 ₱2,321

-12.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₱6,429

$81.5 ₱5,129

25.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₱7,053

$103 ₱6,510

8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₱15.0K

$815 ₱51.3K

-70.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ₱13.0K

$417 ₱26.3K

-50.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.0K

$2,274 ₱143.2K

-81.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.6K

$1,069 ₱67.3K

-66.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,082 ₱194.0K

$5,869 ₱369.5K

-47.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$693 ₱43.7K

$3,738 ₱235.4K

-81.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 ₱17.4K

$601 ₱37.9K

-54.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

-6.67%

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

Last update for Dumaguete: October 12, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dumaguete

$207 26.2%

Makati

$417 34% 102% $210

Groceries & Markets

Dumaguete

$191 24.1%

Makati

$231 18.8% 21.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Dumaguete

$153 19.4%

Makati

$127 10.4% 17% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dumaguete

$103 13%

Makati

$201 16.4% 95.4% $98

Eating Out

Dumaguete

$86 10.8%

Makati

$120 9.7% 39.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Dumaguete

$38 4.8%

Makati

$69 5.6% 81.4% $31

Getting Around

Dumaguete

$13 1.7%

Makati

$62 5.1% 369% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $238 in Dumaguete and $815 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 118% 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: $16.00 in Dumaguete vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $231 per month, with Dumaguete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

14:09 2:09 PM

Same time as Dumaguete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,103

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

Dumaguete Makati 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dumaguete
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

Dumaguete vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dumaguete and Makati differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($791 vs $1,228 including rent). Dumaguete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 118% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $238 in Dumaguete versus $815 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $791 per month in Dumaguete versus $1,228 in Makati – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dumaguete runs roughly 463% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $791 in Dumaguete versus $1,228 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dumaguete but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Dumaguete 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, Dumaguete 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 Dumaguete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.