Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Caloocan

For one person, living is cheaper in Caloocan: $496 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Caloocan
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Caloocan Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Caloocan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Caloocan

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

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Makati vs $496 in Caloocan, rent included.

Makati $1,230
Caloocan $496

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Makati vs $665 in Caloocan, rent included.

Makati $2,137
Caloocan $665

A family of three spends $3,044 per month in Makati vs $834 in Caloocan, rent included.

Makati $3,044
Caloocan $834

Makati costs about 148% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Makati and Caloocan are more affordable than the global median – Makati 10% lower, Caloocan 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱408

$2.70 ₱172

137.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,450

$16.45 ₱1,048

133.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$2.26 ₱144

111.50%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$0.84 ₱53.3

208.33%

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

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.39 ₱25.07

179.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.30

$0.32 ₱20.70

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.01 ₱64.3

136.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$1.59 ₱101

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.65 ₱105

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.6

$1.11 ₱70.7

13.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.7

$0.99 ₱63.1

4.04%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.79 ₱114

32.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱440

$4.93 ₱314

40.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$3.32 ₱212

48.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱430

$7.69 ₱490

-12.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱262

$2.23 ₱142

84.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$0.97 ₱61.5

95.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

$2.34 ₱149

36.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.04 ₱66.6

116.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$1.06 ₱67.8

234.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.77 ₱113

97.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.9

$0.65 ₱41.39

64.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.7

$0.46 ₱29.15

145.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.82 ₱180

-7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱500

$4.82 ₱307

62.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$0.96 ₱61.2

34.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$2.02 ₱129

-4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.20 ₱12.69

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,585

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.48

$0.77 ₱49.01

-15.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.34

$0.22 ₱13.97

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.85 ₱118

2.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.07 ₱68.0

19.63%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-2.62%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-1.60%

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

$151 ₱9,643

$53.6 ₱3,416

182.35%

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

$15.59 ₱993

$9.42 ₱600

65.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,999

$22.59 ₱1,439

38.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,394

$4.82 ₱307

1005.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱895

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱460

$5.12 ₱326

41.02%

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

$776 ₱49.4K

$130 ₱8,279

497.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱471.0K

$10.6K ₱673.2K

-30.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,816

$28.20 ₱1,797

112.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,355

$19.52 ₱1,244

89.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,163

$53.9 ₱3,432

50.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,429

$47.64 ₱3,035

111.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.8K

$209 ₱13.3K

297.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

$118 ₱7,491

264.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱364.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.4K

$307 ₱19.6K

91.13%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Caloocan

$118 23.7% 72.6% $311

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Caloocan

$158 31.9% 30.5% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Caloocan

$86 17.3% 56.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Caloocan

$67 13.6% 46.5% $58

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Caloocan

$50 10% 59.2% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Caloocan

$15 3% 77.8% $53

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Caloocan

$2.7 * 0.5% 95.7% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Makati versus $209 in Caloocan. 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 91% 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 $38 in Makati versus $16 in Caloocan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $158 – making Caloocan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Caloocan

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

1,661,584

💱 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 Caloocan 12 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 Caloocan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati costs about 148% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Makati and $743 in Caloocan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caloocan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $829 in Makati.

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

Groceries cost about 44% more in Makati, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Caloocan, where all-in costs run around $496, than in Makati at $1,230. In Caloocan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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