Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Bangkok

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangkok: $1,114 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Makati outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
Learn more

Bangkok Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Bangkok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $1,114 in Bangkok.

Makati $1,228
Bangkok $1,114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $1,784 in Bangkok.

Makati $2,028
Bangkok $1,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $2,455 in Bangkok.

Makati $2,828
Bangkok $2,455

Living in Makati is roughly 10% more expensive than in Bangkok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Bangkok 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$2.90 ฿96.9

114.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$35.45 ฿1,185

11.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$6.46 ฿216

-24.46%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$2.74 ฿91.7

-6.93%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.67 ฿22.26

58.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.34 ฿11.32

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.69 ฿90.0

-11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$4.59 ฿153

-30.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.87 ฿62.6

1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.48 ฿49.56

-12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.42 ฿47.37

-25.35%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$2.55 ฿85.3

-3.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$16.98 ฿568

-57.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$3.70 ฿124

31.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$12.79 ฿428

-45.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$3.90 ฿130

3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.74 ฿58.2

11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.72 ฿90.9

18.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.95 ฿65.2

17.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$1.69 ฿56.6

105.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$1.51 ฿50.6

137.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.29 ฿43.18

-17.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.52 ฿17.37

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$4.52 ฿151

-40.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$14.90 ฿498

-45.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.78 ฿59.3

-25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$3.18 ฿106

-37.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$1.07 ฿35.75

-15.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$35.69 ฿1,193

59.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$1.02 ฿34.04

-34.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$1.21 ฿40.56

-82.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$5.94 ฿199

-67.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.44 ฿48.06

-13.19%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$31.8K ฿1.1M

-33.23%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$27.3K ฿910.9K

-28.23%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$106 ฿3,546

44.00%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$15.05 ฿503

6.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$17.60 ฿588

83.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$57.4 ฿1,918

-4.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$18.78 ฿628

-24.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$7.48 ฿250

-3.48%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$563 ฿18.8K

41.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$16.3K ฿544.0K

-55.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$71.4 ฿2,386

-14.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$43.53 ฿1,455

-15.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$95.7 ฿3,198

-14.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$106 ฿3,559

-2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$680 ฿22.7K

19.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$338 ฿11.3K

23.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$2,002 ฿66.9K

13.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$725 ฿24.2K

47.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$6,106 ฿204.1K

-3.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$3,111 ฿104.0K

20.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$605 ฿20.2K

-0.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

5.25

42.86%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Bangkok

$338 30.4% 19% $79

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Bangkok

$272 24.5% 17.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Bangkok

$139 12.5% 31% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Bangkok

$143 12.8% 12.1% $15

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Bangkok

$102 9.2% 14.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Bangkok

$72 6.5% 4.4% $3

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Bangkok

$47 4.2% 24.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $680 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Makati vs $35.00 in Bangkok. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $272, with Makati cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

19:02 7:02 PM

1 h behind Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

5,666,264 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makati Bangkok 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Bangkok

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 Bangkok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati and Bangkok differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,228 vs $1,114 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Bangkok. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $815 in Makati versus $680 in Bangkok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bangkok – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $40.00 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $1,114 in Bangkok – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,114 in Bangkok versus $1,228 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bangkok but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Bangkok 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.

Safety-wise, Makati and Bangkok 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 Bangkok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.