Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Calapan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Calapan City: $710 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Calapan City
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Calapan City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Calapan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Calapan City

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

A single person spends $1,228 per month in Makati vs $710 in Calapan City, rent included.

Makati $1,228
Calapan City $710

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Makati vs $1,088 in Calapan City, rent included.

Makati $2,028
Calapan City $1,088

A family of three spends $2,828 per month in Makati vs $1,467 in Calapan City, rent included.

Makati $2,828
Calapan City $1,467

Makati costs about 73% more than Calapan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makati and Calapan City are more affordable than the global median – Makati 9% lower, Calapan City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$4.01 ₱252

55.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$16.85 ₱1,061

134.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$2.83 ₱178

72.44%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$2.25 ₱142

13.33%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.61 ₱38.53

73.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.30 ₱19.15

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.13 ₱71.0

110.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$1.90 ₱120

68.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.69 ₱107

12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.15 ₱72.5

12.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.97 ₱61.1

9.28%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$1.92 ₱121

28.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$4.78 ₱301

52.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$4.23 ₱267

14.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$2.34 ₱147

72.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.60 ₱101

21.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.36 ₱149

36.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.14 ₱71.6

100.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$1.91 ₱120

82.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$1.95 ₱123

84.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$0.99 ₱62.3

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.55 ₱34.62

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$2.99 ₱188

-10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$7.38 ₱464

9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.95 ₱59.6

38.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$1.95 ₱123

1.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$0.24 ₱15.06

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$11.13 ₱701

410.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$0.79 ₱49.46

-15.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$0.20 ₱12.48

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.94 ₱122

-0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.05 ₱66.3

19.05%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$23.0K ₱1.4M

-7.51%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

4.25%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$121 ₱7,642

25.90%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$14.21 ₱895

13.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$24.23 ₱1,525

33.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$32.71 ₱2,059

67.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$5.12 ₱323

176.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$5.07 ₱319

42.41%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$125 ₱7,875

535.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$7,935 ₱499.6K

-7.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$32.35 ₱2,037

89.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$19.22 ₱1,210

91.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$69.8 ₱4,395

16.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$57.0 ₱3,589

81.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$232 ₱14.6K

251.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$156 ₱9,819

167.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$497 ₱31.3K

357.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$336 ₱21.1K

218.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$2,385 ₱150.2K

146.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$1,002 ₱63.1K

273.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$118 ₱7,460

407.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.79

10.46%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calapan City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Calapan City

$156 22% 62.6% $261

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Calapan City

$177 24.9% 23.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Calapan City

$160 22.5% 20.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Calapan City

$80 11.3% 36.9% $47

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Calapan City

$81 11.4% 32.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Calapan City

$43 6% 38.2% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Calapan City

$14 2% 77.7% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $815 in Makati versus $232 in Calapan City. 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 407% 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 $40.00 in Makati versus $17.00 in Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $177 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Calapan City

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

145,786

💱 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

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Makati
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Makati vs Calapan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Makati is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,842 per month in Makati and $1,065 in Calapan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calapan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Makati and $17.00 in Calapan City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,228 in Makati and $710 in Calapan City. That's a gap of about 73%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calapan City, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Makati at $1,228. In Calapan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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