Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $736 per month in El Nido vs $1,228 in Makati, rent included.

El Nido $736
Makati $1,228

A couple spends around $1,157 per month in El Nido vs $2,028 in Makati, rent included.

El Nido $1,157
Makati $2,028

A family of three spends $1,578 per month in El Nido vs $2,828 in Makati, rent included.

El Nido $1,578
Makati $2,828

El Nido is about 40% cheaper than Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both El Nido and Makati are more affordable than the global median – El Nido 45% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.84 ₱305

$6.44 ₱405

-24.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.13 ₱1,771

$39.89 ₱2,511

-29.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 ₱233

$4.78 ₱301

-22.59%

Cappuccino

$2.25 ₱142

$2.58 ₱163

-12.79%

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

$1.17 ₱73.8

$1.10 ₱69.3

6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.45

$0.50 ₱31.66

-36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₱81.8

$2.35 ₱148

-44.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$3.14 ₱197

-36.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.90 ₱119

-16.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₱63.1

$1.24 ₱78.3

-19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.4

$1.01 ₱63.9

27.72%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$2.36 ₱149

-17.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 ₱336

$7.01 ₱442

-23.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 ₱250

$4.93 ₱310

-19.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱439

$6.89 ₱434

1.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ₱142

$4.00 ₱252

-43.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.1

$1.95 ₱123

-21.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.23 ₱203

-30.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱72.8

$2.29 ₱144

-49.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$3.62 ₱228

-46.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 ₱127

$3.46 ₱218

-41.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$1.11 ₱69.8

-17.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.65

$1.15 ₱72.5

-53.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₱211

$2.67 ₱168

25.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ₱456

$7.89 ₱497

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₱62.9

$1.33 ₱83.4

-24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱118

$2.04 ₱128

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.07

$0.92 ₱57.8

-73.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.28 ₱648

$56.2 ₱3,539

-81.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₱53.8

$0.64 ₱40.57

32.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$0.21 ₱13.20

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ₱108

$1.86 ₱117

-7.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.3

$1.26 ₱79.6

3.97%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-8.45%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

14.04%

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

$121 ₱7,638

$153 ₱9,651

-20.86%

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

$14.38 ₱906

$15.87 ₱999

-9.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.44 ₱1,539

$32.36 ₱2,038

-24.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 ₱2,197

$54.5 ₱3,430

-35.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.99 ₱251

$14.33 ₱902

-72.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 ₱329

$7.20 ₱453

-27.36%

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

$124 ₱7,818

$805 ₱50.7K

-84.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,869 ₱432.4K

$7,474 ₱470.6K

-8.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.86 ₱2,132

$61.5 ₱3,871

-44.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.81 ₱1,185

$36.38 ₱2,291

-48.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 ₱4,211

$81.2 ₱5,112

-17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.95 ₱3,145

$105 ₱6,604

-52.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$811 ₱51.1K

-66.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.2K

$417 ₱26.3K

-57.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₱33.7K

$2,310 ₱145.4K

-76.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$1,090 ₱68.6K

-67.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 ₱164.1K

$6,032 ₱379.8K

-56.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$900 ₱56.7K

$3,693 ₱232.5K

-75.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 ₱16.2K

$604 ₱38.0K

-57.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.5

-9.47%

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

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$177 24%

Makati

$417 34% 135% $240

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$174 23.6%

Makati

$230 18.7% 32% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$160 21.7%

Makati

$202 16.4% 25.8% $41

Eating Out

El Nido

$93 12.6%

Makati

$121 9.9% 30% $28

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$76 10.3%

Makati

$128 10.4% 67.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$45 6.1%

Makati

$69 5.6% 51.9% $24

Getting Around

El Nido

$13 1.8%

Makati

$62 5% 370% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in El Nido versus $815 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 run about 132% higher in Makati, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in El Nido versus $40.00 in Makati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $231 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

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

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El Nido Makati 410 km

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El Nido
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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

El Nido vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $736 in El Nido, $1,228 in Makati – roughly 67% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,104 per month in El Nido and $1,842 in Makati. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 455% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $125 per month in El Nido and $794 in Makati. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Makati at $1,228. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Makati has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $736 in El Nido to $1,228 in Makati. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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