Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laoag City and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Laoag City: $717 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Laoag City
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Laoag City Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Laoag City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$717

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $717 per month in Laoag City vs $1,230 in Makati, rent included.

Laoag City $717
Makati $1,230

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Laoag City vs $2,137 in Makati, rent included.

Laoag City $1,117
Makati $2,137

A family of three spends $1,517 per month in Laoag City vs $3,044 in Makati, rent included.

Laoag City $1,517
Makati $3,044

Laoag City is about 42% cheaper than Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Laoag City and Makati are more affordable than the global median – Laoag City 47% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.30 ₱273

$6.40 ₱405

-32.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.20 ₱1,027

$38.45 ₱2,437

-57.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.69 ₱171

$4.78 ₱303

-43.72%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ₱155

$2.59 ₱164

-5.79%

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

$0.68 ₱43.18

$1.09 ₱69.4

-37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.85

$0.49 ₱31.14

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.5

$2.39 ₱152

-58.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₱120

$3.18 ₱201

-40.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.80 ₱114

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.5

$1.26 ₱80.2

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.1

$1.03 ₱65.3

-13.59%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱118

$2.37 ₱150

-21.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.02 ₱381

$6.91 ₱438

-12.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 ₱256

$4.93 ₱313

-18.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.07 ₱448

$6.74 ₱427

4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₱145

$4.12 ₱261

-44.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.90 ₱121

-16.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱151

$3.19 ₱202

-25.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ₱69.5

$2.25 ₱142

-51.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 ₱138

$3.55 ₱225

-38.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 ₱139

$3.50 ₱222

-37.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₱64.7

$1.07 ₱67.5

-4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.21

$1.13 ₱71.3

-53.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱188

$2.60 ₱165

14.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 ₱475

$7.85 ₱498

-4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.1

$1.29 ₱81.9

-27.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.93 ₱123

-4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.20

$0.88 ₱56.0

-72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.87 ₱816

$56.3 ₱3,566

-77.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.49

$0.65 ₱41.26

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.29

$0.21 ₱13.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱123

$1.90 ₱121

2.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₱59.6

$1.28 ₱81.0

-26.56%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.25%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

0.74%

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

$109 ₱6,907

$151 ₱9,592

-27.99%

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

$17.25 ₱1,094

$15.59 ₱988

10.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.88 ₱1,513

$31.38 ₱1,989

-23.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.78 ₱2,014

$53.3 ₱3,376

-40.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.53 ₱287

$14.04 ₱890

-67.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ₱315

$7.22 ₱458

-31.16%

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

$132 ₱8,372

$776 ₱49.2K

-82.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,581 ₱543.9K

$7,391 ₱468.5K

16.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.12 ₱2,099

$59.9 ₱3,795

-44.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.34 ₱1,226

$36.96 ₱2,343

-47.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ₱4,494

$81.0 ₱5,136

-12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.3 ₱3,439

$101 ₱6,395

-46.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₱13.5K

$829 ₱52.5K

-74.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₱10.6K

$429 ₱27.2K

-61.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₱30.7K

$2,151 ₱136.3K

-77.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 ₱24.3K

$1,308 ₱82.9K

-70.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,667 ₱169.1K

$5,714 ₱362.2K

-53.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 ₱61.9K

$3,568 ₱226.2K

-72.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$155 ₱9,834

$587 ₱37.2K

-73.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.5

-7.73%

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

Last update for Laoag City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Laoag City

$178 24.9%

Makati

$227 18.5% 27.4% $49

Accommodation & Living

Laoag City

$167 23.2%

Makati

$429 34.8% 157% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laoag City

$150 20.9%

Makati

$198 16.1% 32.1% $48

Eating Out

Laoag City

$85 11.8%

Makati

$121 9.9% 43.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Laoag City

$80 11.2%

Makati

$125 10.2% 56.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Laoag City

$42 5.8%

Makati

$68 5.5% 62.3% $26

Getting Around

Laoag City

$16 2.2%

Makati

$61 5% 293% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $214 in Laoag City versus $829 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 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Laoag City versus $38 in Makati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $227 – making Laoag City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Laoag City

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

Same time as Laoag City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,117

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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Laoag City Makati 410 km

From you

Laoag City
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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

Laoag City vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati costs about 72% more than Laoag City, 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 $1,075 per month in Laoag City and $1,845 in Makati. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Laoag City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $214 there versus $829 in Makati.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $717 in Laoag City and $1,230 in Makati. That makes Laoag City about 42% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 77% less in Laoag City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $717, than in Makati at $1,230. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Laoag City – 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 Laoag City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Makati makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.