Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imus and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $657 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Imus
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Imus Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$657

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $657 per month in Imus vs $1,228 in Makati, rent included.

Imus $657
Makati $1,228

A couple spends around $978 per month in Imus vs $2,039 in Makati, rent included.

Imus $978
Makati $2,039

A family of three spends $1,299 per month in Imus vs $2,850 in Makati, rent included.

Imus $1,299
Makati $2,850

Imus is about 47% cheaper than Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Imus and Makati are more affordable than the global median – Imus 52% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.01 ₱252

$6.44 ₱405

-37.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.46 ₱1,037

$39.89 ₱2,511

-58.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.88 ₱181

$4.78 ₱301

-39.75%

Cappuccino

$1.88 ₱118

$2.58 ₱163

-27.13%

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

$0.61 ₱38.33

$1.10 ₱69.3

-44.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.94

$0.50 ₱31.66

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₱64.7

$2.35 ₱148

-56.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$3.14 ₱197

-47.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱105

$1.90 ₱119

-12.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱69.9

$1.24 ₱78.3

-10.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.01 ₱63.9

Eggs

$2.01 ₱126

$2.36 ₱149

-14.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱322

$7.01 ₱442

-27.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ₱212

$4.93 ₱310

-31.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.91 ₱498

$6.89 ₱434

14.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$4.00 ₱252

-42.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.95 ₱123

-18.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$3.23 ₱203

-25.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₱116

$2.29 ₱144

-19.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ₱106

$3.62 ₱228

-53.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 ₱113

$3.46 ₱218

-47.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.04

$1.11 ₱69.8

-41.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.78

$1.15 ₱72.5

-57.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ₱191

$2.67 ₱168

13.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 ₱568

$7.89 ₱497

14.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₱68.5

$1.33 ₱83.4

-18.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱130

$2.04 ₱128

0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.01

$0.92 ₱57.8

-73.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.10 ₱699

$56.2 ₱3,539

-80.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.64

$0.64 ₱40.57

23.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.51

$0.21 ₱13.20

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$1.86 ₱117

1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱75.5

$1.26 ₱79.6

-4.76%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

0.87%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

1.93%

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

$125 ₱7,863

$153 ₱9,651

-18.52%

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

$15.76 ₱992

$15.87 ₱999

-0.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.73 ₱1,494

$32.36 ₱2,038

-26.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 ₱2,078

$54.5 ₱3,430

-39.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.61 ₱290

$14.33 ₱902

-67.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 ₱325

$7.20 ₱453

-28.33%

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

$132 ₱8,307

$805 ₱50.7K

-83.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,101 ₱573.0K

$7,474 ₱470.6K

21.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.92 ₱1,821

$61.5 ₱3,871

-52.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.90 ₱1,253

$36.38 ₱2,291

-45.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 ₱4,593

$81.2 ₱5,112

-10.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 ₱3,441

$105 ₱6,604

-47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 ₱7,400

$811 ₱51.1K

-85.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.7 ₱6,275

$417 ₱26.3K

-76.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₱12.7K

$2,310 ₱145.4K

-91.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.6K

$1,090 ₱68.6K

-84.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,374 ₱149.5K

$6,032 ₱379.8K

-60.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 ₱61.6K

$3,693 ₱232.5K

-73.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$174 ₱10.9K

$604 ₱38.0K

-71.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Imus: October 18, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Imus

$180 27.5%

Makati

$230 18.7% 27.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Imus

$164 25%

Makati

$202 16.4% 22.6% $37

Accommodation & Living

Imus

$100 15.2%

Makati

$417 34% 319% $317

Clothing & Footwear

Imus

$79 12.1%

Makati

$128 10.4% 61% $48

Eating Out

Imus

$75 11.5%

Makati

$121 9.9% 60.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Imus

$43 6.6%

Makati

$69 5.6% 59% $26

Getting Around

Imus

$14 2.1%

Makati

$62 5% 340% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Imus versus $811 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 247% 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 $16.00 in Imus versus $40.00 in Makati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $230 – making Imus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Imus

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

Same time as Imus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

496,794

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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Imus Makati 17 km

From you

Imus
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

Imus vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $657 in Imus, $1,228 in Makati – roughly 87% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $985 per month in Imus 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 Imus, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Makati, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Imus and $40.00 in Makati. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Imus, where all-in costs run around $657, than in Makati at $1,228. In Imus 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 $657 in Imus 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 Imus. 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.