Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Calamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $518 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Calamba
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Calamba Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Calamba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $518 in Calamba.

Makati $1,228
Calamba $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $764 in Calamba.

Makati $2,028
Calamba $764

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $1,010 in Calamba.

Makati $2,828
Calamba $1,010

Living in Makati is roughly 137% more expensive than in Calamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Calamba 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$3.92 ₱247

58.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$12.02 ₱757

229.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$2.82 ₱178

73.05%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$1.79 ₱113

42.46%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.56 ₱35.44

89.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.33 ₱21.06

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$0.94 ₱59.5

153.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$1.55 ₱97.7

107.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.60 ₱101

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.11 ₱70.1

16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.97 ₱61.0

9.28%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$2.00 ₱126

23.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$5.20 ₱327

40.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$3.40 ₱214

42.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$7.80 ₱491

-9.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$2.31 ₱145

74.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.54 ₱96.9

25.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.40 ₱151

34.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.06 ₱66.9

116.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$1.73 ₱109

101.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$1.78 ₱112

101.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$0.61 ₱38.68

73.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.49 ₱31.10

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$2.92 ₱184

-7.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$8.87 ₱558

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.96 ₱60.3

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$2.10 ₱132

-5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$0.82 ₱51.9

-18.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$0.25 ₱15.75

-16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.88 ₱119

2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$0.93 ₱58.7

34.41%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

0.59%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

2.90%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$139 ₱8,759

9.83%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$17.36 ₱1,093

-7.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$23.85 ₱1,502

35.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$5.04 ₱317

43.25%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$130 ₱8,193

510.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$10.6K ₱668.9K

-31.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$28.54 ₱1,797

114.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$19.73 ₱1,242

86.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$71.0 ₱4,468

14.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$55.3 ₱3,482

86.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$260 ₱16.4K

131.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.75

11.11%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calamba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Calamba

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Calamba

$175 33.7% 24.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Calamba

$180 34.8% 10.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Calamba

$79 15.2% 38.3% $49

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Calamba

$73 14% 39.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Calamba

$10 * 1.9% 85.5% $59

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Calamba

$2.1 * 0.4% 96.6% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

Makati pays 131% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Makati vs $12.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $175 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Calamba

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

539,671

💱 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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Between locations

Makati Calamba 42 km

From you

Makati
Calamba

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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 137% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 131% higher in Makati, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $518 in Calamba – a 137% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $518 in Calamba versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $518 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Calamba are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.