Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Bulacan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulacan: $628 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bulacan
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Bulacan Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Bulacan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Bulacan

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

A single person spends $1,174 per month in Makati vs $628 in Bulacan, rent included.

Makati $1,174
Bulacan $628

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Makati vs $904 in Bulacan, rent included.

Makati $1,962
Bulacan $904

A family of three spends $2,750 per month in Makati vs $1,180 in Bulacan, rent included.

Makati $2,750
Bulacan $1,180

Makati costs about 87% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makati and Bulacan are more affordable than the global median – Makati 13% lower, Bulacan 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱299

$2.34 ₱148

101.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,671

$14.45 ₱915

82.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱254

$1.85 ₱117

116.76%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$1.70 ₱108

44.71%

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

$1.05 ₱66.6

$0.45 ₱28.46

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.42

$0.15 ₱9.57

293.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.5

$1.13 ₱71.9

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$1.31 ₱82.9

83.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.40 ₱88.5

32.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.1

$1.09 ₱69.1

2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.4

$0.90 ₱57.1

10.00%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱139

$1.53 ₱97.1

43.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱476

$2.36 ₱149

218.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱293

$3.16 ₱200

46.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱444

$6.63 ₱420

5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.18 ₱138

48.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.70 ₱107

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.22 ₱141

24.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$1.27 ₱80.6

-30.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.2

$1.55 ₱98.4

-14.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.3

$1.76 ₱111

-21.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$0.61 ₱38.70

206.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.90

$0.35 ₱22.20

65.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱192

$3.82 ₱242

-20.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱613

$3.48 ₱221

177.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.4

$1.01 ₱64.1

23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.37 ₱86.7

46.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.34

$0.20 ₱12.74

280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,655

$6.73 ₱426

757.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.64

$0.73 ₱46.31

2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.66

$0.18 ₱11.10

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.84 ₱117

6.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$1.20 ₱76.3

4.17%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

0.13%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

-2.88%

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

$111 ₱7,023

$115 ₱7,277

-3.50%

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

$16.82 ₱1,066

$17.51 ₱1,110

-3.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,521

$31.15 ₱1,973

-22.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,587

$47.30 ₱2,997

19.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱896

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱400

$4.82 ₱305

30.91%

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

$619 ₱39.2K

$78.2 ₱4,954

692.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱331.4K

$932 ₱59.1K

461.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,511

$30.99 ₱1,963

78.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,984

$32.20 ₱2,040

-2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,435

$62.4 ₱3,955

12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,665

$62.6 ₱3,964

-7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱51.9K

$181 ₱11.5K

352.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.3K

$116 ₱7,325

327.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱157.6K

$252 ₱15.9K

888.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.0K

$155 ₱9,835

733.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱355.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱225.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Bulacan

$116 18.4% 76.6% $379

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Bulacan

$143 22.8% 29.5% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Bulacan

$164 26% 7.8% $12

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Bulacan

$55 8.8% 42.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Bulacan

$85 13.5% 12.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Bulacan

$57 9.1% 17.8% $12

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Bulacan

$9.1 1.5% 85.4% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $820 in Makati versus $181 in Bulacan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Makati versus $14 in Bulacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $143 – making Bulacan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Bulacan

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

3,700,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati costs about 87% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,761 per month in Makati and $943 in Bulacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulacan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $181 there versus $820 in Makati.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,174 in Makati and $628 in Bulacan. That makes Bulacan about 46% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 88% less in Bulacan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Bulacan, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Makati at $1,174. In Bulacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bulacan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Bulacan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.