Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Cainta

For one person, living is cheaper in Cainta: $716 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Cainta
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Cainta Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Cainta

🇵🇭 Philippines

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Cainta

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

A single person spends $1,174 per month in Makati vs $716 in Cainta, rent included.

Makati $1,174
Cainta $716

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Makati vs $1,092 in Cainta, rent included.

Makati $1,962
Cainta $1,092

A family of three spends $2,750 per month in Makati vs $1,468 in Cainta, rent included.

Makati $2,750
Cainta $1,468

Makati costs about 64% more than Cainta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Makati and Cainta are more affordable than the global median – Makati 13% lower, Cainta 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱298

$3.82 ₱241

23.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,660

$16.38 ₱1,031

60.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱253

$2.83 ₱178

41.70%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱155

$2.42 ₱152

1.65%

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

$1.05 ₱66.2

$1.20 ₱75.4

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.18

$0.30 ₱19.16

96.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.1

$1.18 ₱74.6

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱152

$2.40 ₱151

0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱117

$1.59 ₱100.0

16.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱70.7

$1.10 ₱69.2

1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$0.96 ₱60.3

3.13%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱138

$2.26 ₱142

-2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱473

$4.63 ₱292

62.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱291

$3.43 ₱216

34.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱442

$6.91 ₱435

1.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱203

$2.18 ₱137

48.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.51 ₱94.9

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱174

$2.38 ₱150

15.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱55.6

$1.05 ₱66.2

-16.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$1.72 ₱108

-22.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱86.8

$1.74 ₱110

-20.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱118

$0.87 ₱54.7

114.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.67

$0.48 ₱30.29

20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱191

$2.91 ₱183

4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱609

$8.50 ₱535

13.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.9

$0.96 ₱60.4

30.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$2.02 ₱127

-0.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.04

$0.22 ₱13.84

245.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,632

$12.56 ₱791

359.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.34

$0.77 ₱48.50

-2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.59

$0.20 ₱12.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.83 ₱115

7.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.0

$1.19 ₱74.8

5.04%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-1.06%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-0.70%

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

$111 ₱6,979

$121 ₱7,628

-8.51%

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

$16.82 ₱1,059

$15.60 ₱982

7.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,511

$22.62 ₱1,424

6.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,564

$31.21 ₱1,965

81.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$5.28 ₱333

167.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱397

$5.20 ₱328

21.35%

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

$619 ₱39.0K

$129 ₱8,154

378.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱329.4K

$8,741 ₱550.4K

-40.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,489

$27.98 ₱1,762

98.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,972

$18.91 ₱1,191

65.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,408

$70.8 ₱4,460

-1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,642

$54.2 ₱3,412

6.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱51.6K

$255 ₱16.0K

221.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.1K

$168 ₱10.6K

194.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱156.6K

$483 ₱30.4K

414.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱81.5K

$355 ₱22.3K

264.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱353.1K

$2,677 ₱168.5K

109.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱224.0K

$1,110 ₱69.9K

220.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.0K

$418 ₱26.3K

25.33%

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 Cainta: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Cainta

$168 23.5% 66% $327

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Cainta

$170 23.7% 16.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Cainta

$159 22.3% 5.1% $7.7

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Cainta

$85 11.8% 12.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Cainta

$77 10.8% 19.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Cainta

$42 5.8% 39.9% $28

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Cainta

$15 2.1% 75.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $820 in Makati versus $255 in Cainta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Makati, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Makati versus $16 in Cainta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $170 – making Cainta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Cainta

🕒 Local time

12:38 12:38 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

322,128

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Makati Cainta 11 km

From you

Makati
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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 Cainta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Makati is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,761 per month in Makati and $1,075 in Cainta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cainta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $255 there versus $820 in Makati.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Cainta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $619 per month in Makati and $129 in Cainta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cainta, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Makati at $1,174. In Cainta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cainta – 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 Cainta. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Makati makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.