Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Butuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $569 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
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Butuan Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Butuan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $569 in Butuan.

Makati $1,230
Butuan $569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $899 in Butuan.

Makati $2,137
Butuan $899

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,229 in Butuan.

Makati $3,044
Butuan $1,229

Living in Makati is roughly 116% more expensive than in Butuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Butuan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$4.66 ₱298

37.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$26.45 ₱1,690

45.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.32 ₱149

106.03%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.04 ₱131

26.96%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.30 ₱19.14

263.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.24 ₱15.34

104.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.58 ₱101

51.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$2.37 ₱151

34.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.92 ₱123

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.11 ₱71.0

13.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.90 ₱57.2

14.44%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.83 ₱117

29.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$6.42 ₱410

7.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$4.75 ₱303

3.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$9.41 ₱601

-28.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.65 ₱170

55.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.09 ₱69.7

74.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.40 ₱153

32.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.17 ₱74.6

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$1.97 ₱126

80.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$3.40 ₱218

2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$1.18 ₱75.3

-9.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.70 ₱44.69

61.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.42 ₱155

7.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$7.68 ₱491

2.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$1.27 ₱81.3

1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.60 ₱103

20.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.81 ₱51.7

-19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.24 ₱15.38

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.93 ₱124

-1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.06 ₱68.0

20.75%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.09%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-1.37%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$106 ₱6,755

43.15%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$18.42 ₱1,177

-15.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$30.63 ₱1,957

2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$23.59 ₱1,507

125.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$4.18 ₱267

72.73%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$106 ₱6,768

632.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$7,473 ₱477.5K

-1.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$59.6 ₱3,805

0.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$30.15 ₱1,926

22.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$69.0 ₱4,410

17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$60.7 ₱3,878

66.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.31

-9.75%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Butuan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Butuan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Butuan

$198 34.9% 12.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Butuan

$155 27.2% 22% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Butuan

$99 17.3% 21.3% $27

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Butuan

$84 14.7% 31.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Butuan

$32 5.6% 52.8% $36

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Butuan

$2 * 0.4% 96.7% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $26 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $198 per month, with Butuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Butuan

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

337,063

💱 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 Butuan 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Butuan

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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,845 in Makati and $854 in Butuan 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.

Childcare runs $776 in Makati versus $106 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $26 versus $38 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $569 in Butuan versus $1,230 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan 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 Butuan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.