Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $757 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Baguio

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $757 in Baguio.

Makati $1,228
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $1,171 in Baguio.

Makati $2,028
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $1,585 in Baguio.

Makati $2,828
Baguio $1,585

Living in Makati is roughly 62% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$4.04 ₱255

53.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$16.77 ₱1,056

135.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$2.85 ₱180

71.23%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$1.86 ₱117

37.10%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.59 ₱37.34

79.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.30 ₱19.17

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$0.97 ₱61.3

145.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$1.57 ₱98.9

104.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.69 ₱106

12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.12 ₱70.7

15.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.96 ₱60.5

10.42%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$2.03 ₱128

21.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$5.22 ₱329

39.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$3.34 ₱210

45.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$8.04 ₱506

-12.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$2.31 ₱145

74.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.59 ₱100

22.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.35 ₱148

37.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.08 ₱67.7

112.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$1.69 ₱107

105.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$1.76 ₱111

103.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$0.62 ₱38.85

70.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.50 ₱31.33

122.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$2.87 ₱181

-6.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$9.00 ₱567

-9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.92 ₱57.8

43.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$2.02 ₱127

-1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$0.25 ₱15.84

260.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$12.90 ₱812

340.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$0.77 ₱48.34

-12.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$0.23 ₱14.44

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.25 ₱78.7

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-1.02%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

2.95%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$138 ₱8,682

10.81%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$17.71 ₱1,115

-9.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$23.76 ₱1,496

36.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$21.05 ₱1,325

160.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$5.19 ₱327

172.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$5.30 ₱334

36.23%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$135 ₱8,486

489.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$10.7K ₱673.8K

-31.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$28.76 ₱1,811

112.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$19.76 ₱1,244

86.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$71.1 ₱4,479

14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$56.4 ₱3,551

83.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$409 ₱25.8K

99.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$200 ₱12.6K

109.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$836 ₱52.6K

172.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$466 ₱29.3K

129.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$2,647 ₱166.7K

121.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$930 ₱58.6K

301.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$182 ₱11.4K

230.94%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 52.2% $218

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 23.9% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 10.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Baguio

$79 10.5% 37.8% $48

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 37.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 54.3% $38

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 74.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 231% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Makati vs $17.00 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $176 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

366,358

💱 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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Makati Baguio 210 km

From you

Makati
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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 Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 231% higher in Makati, 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: $815 in Makati versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $757 in Baguio – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 340% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $757 in Baguio versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baguio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $757 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baguio hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Baguio are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.