Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between General Trias and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in General Trias: $618 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in General Trias
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General Trias Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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General Trias

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $618 per month in General Trias vs $1,174 in Makati, rent included.

General Trias $618
Makati $1,174

A couple spends around $990 per month in General Trias vs $1,962 in Makati, rent included.

General Trias $990
Makati $1,962

A family of three spends $1,362 per month in General Trias vs $2,750 in Makati, rent included.

General Trias $1,362
Makati $2,750

General Trias is about 47% cheaper than Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both General Trias and Makati are more affordable than the global median – General Trias 54% lower, Makati 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱254

$4.72 ₱300

-15.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.20 ₱1,029

$26.37 ₱1,674

-38.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.45 ₱155

$4.01 ₱255

-38.90%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₱116

$2.46 ₱156

-25.61%

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

$0.40 ₱25.40

$1.05 ₱66.8

-61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱18.83

$0.59 ₱37.49

-49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.2

$1.16 ₱73.7

-12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₱95.9

$2.41 ₱153

-37.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱104

$1.86 ₱118

-11.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱72.9

$1.12 ₱71.3

2.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.9

$0.99 ₱62.6

-8.08%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱129

$2.20 ₱139

-7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.79 ₱304

$7.51 ₱477

-36.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ₱215

$4.63 ₱294

-26.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 ₱483

$7.01 ₱445

8.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱139

$3.23 ₱205

-32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱100

$1.90 ₱121

-16.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ₱146

$2.76 ₱175

-17.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.0

$0.88 ₱56.1

14.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 ₱106

$1.33 ₱84.4

24.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₱108

$1.38 ₱87.5

23.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ₱55.5

$1.87 ₱119

-53.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.86

$0.58 ₱36.98

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

$3.03 ₱192

-2.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.42 ₱535

$9.67 ₱614

-12.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.2

$1.25 ₱79.6

-23.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱131

$2.01 ₱128

2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.29

$0.76 ₱48.44

-68.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 ₱781

$57.7 ₱3,663

-78.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.01

$0.75 ₱47.73

1.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

$0.20 ₱12.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱122

$1.96 ₱124

-2.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.8

$1.25 ₱79.6

-2.40%

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

$11.6K ₱737.1K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-44.50%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-1.05%

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

$31.73 ₱2,014

$111 ₱7,037

-71.37%

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

$17.15 ₱1,089

$16.82 ₱1,068

1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 ₱1,330

$24.00 ₱1,524

-12.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 ₱1,987

$56.6 ₱3,594

-44.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.25 ₱333

$14.14 ₱898

-62.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₱318

$6.31 ₱400

-20.60%

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

$129 ₱8,211

$619 ₱39.3K

-79.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱688.4K

$5,231 ₱332.1K

107.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.39 ₱1,802

$55.4 ₱3,518

-48.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.41 ₱1,232

$31.32 ₱1,988

-38.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ₱4,499

$70.0 ₱4,444

1.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 ₱3,543

$57.8 ₱3,672

-3.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$95.0 ₱6,032

$820 ₱52.0K

-88.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.7K

$495 ₱31.4K

-65.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₱30.7K

$2,487 ₱157.9K

-80.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱22.4K

$1,294 ₱82.2K

-72.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 ₱167.4K

$5,608 ₱356.0K

-52.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,111 ₱70.6K

$3,558 ₱225.9K

-68.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-3.57%

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

Last update for General Trias: November 1, 2026

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

General Trias

$172 27.9%

Makati

$203 17.3% 17.8% $31

Accommodation & Living

General Trias

$168 27.3%

Makati

$495 42.1% 194% $326

Clothing & Footwear

General Trias

$79 12.7%

Makati

$97 8.2% 23% $18

Eating Out

General Trias

$72 11.7%

Makati

$97 8.2% 33.7% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

General Trias

$70 11.3%

Makati

$152 12.9% 117% $82

Sport & Entertainment

General Trias

$41 6.7%

Makati

$69 5.9% 67.5% $28

Getting Around

General Trias

$15 2.4%

Makati

$62 5.3% 316% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $95 in General Trias 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in General Trias versus $26 in Makati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $203 – making General Trias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 General Trias

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

Same time as General Trias

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

450,583

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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General Trias Makati 24 km

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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

General Trias vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati costs about 90% more than General Trias, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $926 per month in General Trias 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 General Trias, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $95 there versus $820 in Makati.

Public transport costs about 79% less in General Trias. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $129 per month in General Trias and $619 in Makati. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in General Trias, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Makati at $1,174. In General Trias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, General Trias is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.