Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Bago

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $688 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Bago
Learn more

Bago Living Index

Jump to prices

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Bago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $688 in Bago.

Makati $1,230
Bago $688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,080 in Bago.

Makati $2,137
Bago $1,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,472 in Bago.

Makati $3,044
Bago $1,472

Living in Makati is roughly 79% more expensive than in Bago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Bago 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱408

$4.40 ₱281

45.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,455

$15.67 ₱1,000

145.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$2.86 ₱183

67.13%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.35 ₱150

10.21%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.69 ₱43.77

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.36

$0.32 ₱20.50

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.26 ₱80.4

89.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$1.80 ₱115

76.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.59 ₱101

13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.7

$1.24 ₱79.1

1.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.8

$0.92 ₱58.9

11.96%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.72 ₱110

37.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$6.11 ₱390

13.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$4.56 ₱291

8.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱430

$7.00 ₱447

-3.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.70 ₱172

52.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.38 ₱88.2

37.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.18 ₱139

46.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.12 ₱71.6

100.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$1.79 ₱114

98.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$2.05 ₱131

70.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.0

$1.14 ₱72.7

-6.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.8

$0.52 ₱33.02

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.69 ₱172

-3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱501

$6.84 ₱437

14.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.5

$1.01 ₱64.7

27.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.68 ₱107

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.20 ₱12.67

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,592

$12.19 ₱778

361.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.56

$0.80 ₱50.8

-18.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.24 ₱15.43

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.79 ₱115

6.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.34 ₱85.6

-4.48%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$18.2K ₱1.2M

14.59%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$17.3K ₱1.1M

9.23%

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

$151 ₱9,662

$113 ₱7,192

34.35%

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

$15.59 ₱995

$14.33 ₱915

8.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,003

$22.00 ₱1,405

42.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,401

$28.03 ₱1,790

90.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$4.61 ₱294

204.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$5.27 ₱337

37.00%

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

$776 ₱49.5K

$112 ₱7,165

591.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱471.9K

$8,644 ₱551.9K

-14.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,823

$30.74 ₱1,963

94.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,360

$17.38 ₱1,110

112.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,173

$61.6 ₱3,935

31.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,441

$58.9 ₱3,763

71.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.9K

$286 ₱18.3K

189.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$144 ₱9,182

197.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.3K

$553 ₱35.3K

288.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.5K

$357 ₱22.8K

266.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱364.8K

$2,770 ₱176.9K

106.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.8K

$968 ₱61.8K

268.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.92

8.38%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bago: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Bago

$144 20.9% 66.4% $285

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Bago

$179 26.1% 21.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Bago

$149 21.7% 24.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Bago

$76 11% 39.5% $50

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Bago

$86 12.5% 29.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Bago

$39 5.6% 43% $29

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Bago

$15 2.2% 75.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $286 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $16 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $179 per month, with Bago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Bago

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

191,210

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Bago 490 km

From you

Makati
Bago

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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,845 in Makati and $1,031 in Bago to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $829 in Makati versus $286 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $776 in Makati versus $112 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $688 in Bago versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Bago 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 Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.