Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Alabang

For one person, living is cheaper in Alabang: $721 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Alabang
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Alabang Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Alabang

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Alabang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Makati and in Alabang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Makati vs $721 in Alabang, rent included.

Makati $1,230
Alabang $721

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Makati vs $1,098 in Alabang, rent included.

Makati $2,137
Alabang $1,098

A family of three spends $3,044 per month in Makati vs $1,475 in Alabang, rent included.

Makati $3,044
Alabang $1,475

Makati costs about 71% more than Alabang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$4.03 ₱257

58.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$18.49 ₱1,181

107.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.78 ₱178

71.94%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.37 ₱152

9.28%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.68 ₱43.36

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.31 ₱19.58

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.02 ₱65.1

134.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$1.84 ₱118

72.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.59 ₱102

13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.14 ₱73.0

10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.84 ₱53.8

22.62%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.78 ₱113

33.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$4.94 ₱315

39.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$3.46 ₱221

42.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$7.09 ₱453

-4.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.20 ₱141

87.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.41 ₱90.0

34.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.36 ₱151

35.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.01 ₱64.4

122.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$1.72 ₱110

106.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.67 ₱107

109.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$0.64 ₱41.21

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.52 ₱33.29

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.82 ₱180

-7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$7.27 ₱465

7.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$0.89 ₱56.6

44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.81 ₱116

6.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.26 ₱16.65

238.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$11.17 ₱714

403.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.81 ₱51.5

-19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.21 ₱13.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.91 ₱122

-0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.21 ₱77.5

5.79%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-2.47%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.73%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$138 ₱8,797

9.92%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$13.99 ₱894

11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$22.79 ₱1,456

37.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$30.60 ₱1,955

74.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$4.61 ₱295

204.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$5.19 ₱331

39.11%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$70.7 ₱4,518

997.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$2,479 ₱158.4K

198.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$28.26 ₱1,806

111.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$19.00 ₱1,214

94.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$69.8 ₱4,458

16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$54.3 ₱3,469

85.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$221 ₱14.1K

275.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$168 ₱10.7K

155.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$489 ₱31.3K

339.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$357 ₱22.8K

266.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$2,524 ₱161.3K

126.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$1,227 ₱78.4K

190.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.75

11.11%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alabang: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Alabang

$168 23.2% 60.9% $261

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Alabang

$165 22.9% 27.4% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Alabang

$174 24.2% 12% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Alabang

$77 10.7% 38.5% $48

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Alabang

$82 11.3% 32.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Alabang

$41 5.7% 39.5% $27

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Alabang

$14 2% 77.1% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Makati versus $221 in Alabang. 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 $38 in Makati versus $18 in Alabang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $165 – making Alabang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Alabang

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

71,075

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Makati Alabang 16 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

Makati vs Alabang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Makati is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Makati and $1,081 in Alabang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alabang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $829 in Makati.

Groceries cost about 38% 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 $38 in Makati and $18 in Alabang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alabang, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Makati at $1,230. In Alabang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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.

For expats, Alabang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 71% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.