Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Cabanatuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $601 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
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Cabanatuan Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Cabanatuan

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

A single person spends $1,174 per month in Makati vs $601 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Makati $1,174
Cabanatuan $601

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Makati vs $954 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Makati $1,962
Cabanatuan $954

A family of three spends $2,750 per month in Makati vs $1,308 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Makati $2,750
Cabanatuan $1,308

Makati costs about 95% more than Cabanatuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Makati and Cabanatuan are more affordable than the global median – Makati 13% lower, Cabanatuan 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱300

$3.87 ₱246

21.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,676

$16.59 ₱1,055

58.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱255

$2.71 ₱172

47.97%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$1.74 ₱111

41.38%

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

$1.05 ₱66.9

$0.60 ₱38.00

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.55

$0.33 ₱21.20

78.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.8

$0.94 ₱59.6

23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$1.60 ₱102

50.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.64 ₱104

13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.4

$1.11 ₱70.5

0.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.6

$0.88 ₱55.7

12.50%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱140

$2.04 ₱130

7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱478

$4.87 ₱309

54.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱294

$3.29 ₱209

40.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱446

$7.57 ₱481

-7.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.26 ₱144

42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.04 ₱65.9

82.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.39 ₱152

15.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.2

$0.81 ₱51.5

8.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.5

$1.64 ₱104

-18.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.6

$1.71 ₱109

-19.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$0.88 ₱56.3

112.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱37.03

$0.52 ₱32.96

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱193

$2.93 ₱186

3.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱615

$8.71 ₱554

11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.7

$0.88 ₱55.7

42.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$2.06 ₱131

-2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.51

$0.24 ₱15.28

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,668

$12.40 ₱789

365.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.80

$0.81 ₱51.3

-7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.71

$0.20 ₱12.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.86 ₱118

5.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.8

$0.95 ₱60.5

31.58%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-1.99%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-1.79%

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

$111 ₱7,047

$52.5 ₱3,335

111.33%

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

$16.82 ₱1,070

$17.00 ₱1,081

-1.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,526

$21.22 ₱1,349

13.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,599

$10.94 ₱695

417.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱899

$5.15 ₱327

174.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱401

$5.05 ₱321

24.95%

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

$619 ₱39.4K

$132 ₱8,365

370.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱332.6K

$10.7K ₱682.1K

-51.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,523

$23.07 ₱1,467

140.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,991

$19.29 ₱1,227

62.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,451

$57.8 ₱3,674

21.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,678

$55.8 ₱3,549

3.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.1K

$250 ₱15.9K

228.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$164 ₱10.4K

201.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱158.2K

$485 ₱30.8K

412.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.3K

$349 ₱22.2K

271.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱356.5K

$2,631 ₱167.3K

113.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱226.2K

$1,099 ₱69.9K

223.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.3K

$159 ₱10.1K

229.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.70%

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cabanatuan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Cabanatuan

$164 27.3% 66.8% $330

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Cabanatuan

$168 28% 17.3% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Cabanatuan

$91 15.1% 40.2% $61

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Cabanatuan

$72 11.9% 25.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Cabanatuan

$70 11.7% 27.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Cabanatuan

$21 3.5% 69.6% $48

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Cabanatuan

$15 2.5% 75.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $820 in Makati versus $250 in Cabanatuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Makati are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Makati versus $17 in Cabanatuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $168 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🕒 Local time

06:39 6:39 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

302,231

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Makati Cabanatuan 100 km

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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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,174 in Makati, $601 in Cabanatuan – Cabanatuan comes out roughly 49% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,761 per month in Makati and $901 in Cabanatuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $820 in Makati.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Makati and $17 in Cabanatuan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,174 in Makati and $601 in Cabanatuan. That makes Cabanatuan about 49% cheaper.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Cabanatuan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Makati makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.