Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Albay

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $729 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Albay

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 Albay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $729 in Albay.

Makati $1,228
Albay $729

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,039 in Makati versus $1,108 in Albay.

Makati $2,039
Albay $1,108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,850 in Makati versus $1,487 in Albay.

Makati $2,850
Albay $1,487

Living in Makati is roughly 69% more expensive than in Albay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Albay 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 ₱412

$3.78 ₱242

70.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 ₱2,550

$16.81 ₱1,074

137.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$2.82 ₱180

69.50%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ₱165

$2.19 ₱140

17.81%

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

$1.10 ₱70.4

$0.63 ₱40.22

74.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱32.15

$0.33 ₱21.13

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ₱150

$1.12 ₱71.7

109.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₱200

$1.99 ₱127

57.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.61 ₱103

18.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱79.5

$1.12 ₱71.8

10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.9

$0.96 ₱61.4

5.21%

Eggs

$2.36 ₱151

$1.88 ₱120

25.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.01 ₱448

$5.70 ₱365

22.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$4.21 ₱269

17.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.89 ₱441

$6.95 ₱445

-0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 ₱256

$2.33 ₱149

71.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ₱125

$1.56 ₱99.7

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₱206

$2.42 ₱155

33.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱146

$1.17 ₱75.1

95.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 ₱231

$1.93 ₱123

87.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.46 ₱221

$1.96 ₱125

76.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₱70.8

$0.98 ₱62.4

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱73.6

$0.54 ₱34.46

112.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 ₱171

$2.90 ₱186

-7.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₱505

$7.69 ₱491

2.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱84.7

$0.96 ₱61.4

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₱130

$1.95 ₱125

4.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ₱58.7

$0.24 ₱15.19

283.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 ₱3,593

$11.21 ₱717

401.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 ₱41.20

$0.74 ₱47.17

-13.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.40

$0.23 ₱14.72

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱119

$1.93 ₱124

-3.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱80.9

$1.24 ₱79.1

1.61%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-1.25%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

0.09%

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

$153 ₱9,799

$124 ₱7,929

23.57%

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

$15.87 ₱1,015

$15.06 ₱963

5.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 ₱2,069

$24.69 ₱1,578

31.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 ₱3,483

$32.74 ₱2,093

66.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.33 ₱916

$4.58 ₱293

212.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ₱460

$5.24 ₱335

37.40%

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

$805 ₱51.5K

$131 ₱8,392

513.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,474 ₱477.8K

$7,896 ₱504.8K

-5.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 ₱3,931

$33.24 ₱2,125

84.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 ₱2,326

$19.61 ₱1,254

85.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ₱5,191

$70.4 ₱4,500

15.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₱6,705

$56.3 ₱3,596

86.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ₱51.9K

$261 ₱16.7K

210.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.7K

$170 ₱10.9K

145.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 ₱147.6K

$512 ₱32.7K

351.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 ₱69.7K

$351 ₱22.5K

210.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,032 ₱385.6K

$2,446 ₱156.4K

146.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 ₱236.1K

$974 ₱62.3K

279.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 ₱38.6K

$162 ₱10.3K

273.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.79

10.46%

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

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Last update for Albay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Albay

$170 23.3% 59.2% $247

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$230 18.7%

Albay

$178 24.5% 22.4% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$202 16.4%

Albay

$164 22.5% 18.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$128 10.4%

Albay

$81 11.1% 36.8% $47

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Albay

$78 10.8% 35.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Albay

$43 5.9% 37.3% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5%

Albay

$14 1.9% 77.2% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $811 in Makati and $261 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $40 in Makati vs $17 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $178 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Albay

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

179,481

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makati Albay 330 km

From you

Makati
Albay

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 Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati and Albay differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,228 vs $729 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Makati is about 3.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $811 in Makati versus $261 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17 versus $40 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $729 in Albay versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.