Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Calbayog

For one person, living is cheaper in Calbayog: $739 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Calbayog
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Calbayog Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Calbayog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Calbayog

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

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Makati vs $739 in Calbayog, rent included.

Makati $1,230
Calbayog $739

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Makati vs $1,112 in Calbayog, rent included.

Makati $2,137
Calbayog $1,112

A family of three spends $3,044 per month in Makati vs $1,486 in Calbayog, rent included.

Makati $3,044
Calbayog $1,486

Makati costs about 67% more than Calbayog, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makati and Calbayog are more affordable than the global median – Makati 10% lower, Calbayog 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$3.94 ₱252

62.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$16.45 ₱1,051

133.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.49 ₱159

91.97%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.30 ₱147

12.61%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.57 ₱36.58

91.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.30 ₱19.34

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.28 ₱82.0

86.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$1.78 ₱113

78.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.50 ₱95.6

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.17 ₱75.1

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.91 ₱58.4

13.19%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$2.08 ₱133

13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$5.21 ₱333

32.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$3.80 ₱243

29.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$6.32 ₱404

6.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.52 ₱161

63.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.46 ₱93.2

30.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.48 ₱158

28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.08 ₱69.1

108.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$1.86 ₱119

90.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$2.13 ₱136

64.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$1.13 ₱71.9

-5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.57 ₱36.52

98.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.85 ₱182

-8.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$7.97 ₱509

-1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$1.02 ₱65.2

26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$2.05 ₱131

-5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.26 ₱16.83

238.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$10.60 ₱677

430.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.78 ₱49.99

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.24 ₱15.27

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.94 ₱124

-2.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$18.2K ₱1.2M

14.50%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$16.3K ₱1.0M

15.92%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$135 ₱8,600

12.43%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$14.04 ₱897

11.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$23.69 ₱1,513

32.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$30.92 ₱1,976

72.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$4.83 ₱308

190.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$4.88 ₱312

47.95%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$126 ₱8,073

514.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$7,047 ₱450.2K

4.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$30.57 ₱1,953

95.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$17.67 ₱1,129

109.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$60.3 ₱3,850

34.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$57.7 ₱3,688

74.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$284 ₱18.2K

191.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$182 ₱11.6K

135.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$523 ₱33.4K

311.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$369 ₱23.6K

254.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$2,324 ₱148.5K

145.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$1,159 ₱74.1K

207.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

$147 ₱9,421

298.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.92

8.38%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Calbayog: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Calbayog

$182 24.6% 57.6% $247

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Calbayog

$175 23.7% 22.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Calbayog

$172 23.3% 13.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Calbayog

$75 10.1% 40.4% $51

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Calbayog

$80 10.8% 34% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Calbayog

$41 5.5% 39.9% $27

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Calbayog

$14 1.9% 77.8% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Makati versus $284 in Calbayog. 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 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Makati versus $16 in Calbayog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $175 – making Calbayog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Calbayog

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

183,851

💱 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

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Makati Calbayog 480 km

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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 Calbayog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Makati is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Makati and $1,108 in Calbayog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calbayog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $284 there versus $829 in Makati.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Makati, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Makati and $16 in Calbayog. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Calbayog, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Makati at $1,230. In Calbayog it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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