Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Boracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Boracay: $915 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
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Boracay Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Boracay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $915 in Boracay.

Makati $1,230
Boracay $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,349 in Boracay.

Makati $2,137
Boracay $1,349

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,783 in Boracay.

Makati $3,044
Boracay $1,783

Living in Makati is roughly 34% more expensive than in Boracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Boracay 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$5.31 ₱339

20.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$18.68 ₱1,193

105.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$5.97 ₱381

-19.93%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.32 ₱148

11.64%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.69 ₱44.12

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.22 ₱14.01

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.19 ₱76.1

100.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$2.01 ₱129

58.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$2.93 ₱187

-38.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.27 ₱81.4

-0.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.90 ₱57.4

14.44%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.89 ₱121

25.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$5.04 ₱322

37.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$3.89 ₱248

26.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$6.49 ₱414

3.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.29 ₱146

79.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.50 ₱96.0

26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.03 ₱130

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.29 ₱82.2

74.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$2.19 ₱140

62.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$2.14 ₱137

63.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$0.92 ₱58.6

16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.59 ₱37.42

91.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.29 ₱147

13.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$7.61 ₱486

3.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$0.90 ₱57.2

43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.97 ₱126

-2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.22 ₱14.04

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$10.67 ₱682

427.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.66 ₱42.39

-1.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.24 ₱15.22

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.76 ₱113

7.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.10 ₱70.3

16.36%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$22.9K ₱1.5M

-9.15%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

-6.98%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$109 ₱6,934

39.45%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$15.54 ₱993

0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$33.36 ₱2,131

-5.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$33.49 ₱2,140

59.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$4.90 ₱313

186.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$5.21 ₱333

38.58%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$141 ₱8,983

451.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$7,871 ₱502.9K

-6.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$27.63 ₱1,766

116.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$18.45 ₱1,179

100.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$67.3 ₱4,298

20.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$51.7 ₱3,304

95.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$248 ₱15.8K

234.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$337 ₱21.5K

27.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$489 ₱31.2K

339.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$589 ₱37.6K

122.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$2,586 ₱165.2K

121.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$1,129 ₱72.1K

216.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

$230 ₱14.7K

155.16%

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 Boracay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Boracay

$337 36.8% 21.3% $91

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Boracay

$187 20.5% 17.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Boracay

$157 17.2% 20.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Boracay

$74 8.1% 40.8% $51

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Boracay

$102 11.1% 16.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Boracay

$44 4.8% 35.1% $24

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Boracay

$13 1.5% 78.2% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $248 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $19 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $187 per month, with Boracay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Boracay

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

12,296

💱 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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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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,230 in Makati and $915 in Boracay, so Boracay is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Makati is about 2.6 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: $829 in Makati versus $248 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19 versus $38 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $915 in Boracay versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay 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 Boracay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.