Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Cauayan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cauayan City: $713 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Cauayan City
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Cauayan City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Cauayan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Cauayan 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 Cauayan City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Makati vs $713 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Makati $1,230
Cauayan City $713

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Makati vs $1,058 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Makati $2,137
Cauayan City $1,058

A family of three spends $3,044 per month in Makati vs $1,403 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Makati $3,044
Cauayan City $1,403

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

Both Makati and Cauayan City are more affordable than the global median – Makati 10% lower, Cauayan City 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$3.90 ₱249

64.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$16.18 ₱1,034

137.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.74 ₱175

74.45%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$1.73 ₱110

49.71%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.60 ₱38.16

81.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.34 ₱21.43

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$0.94 ₱59.9

154.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$1.52 ₱97.2

109.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.64 ₱105

9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.14 ₱72.8

10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$1.02 ₱65.0

0.98%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$2.00 ₱128

18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$5.05 ₱323

36.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$3.30 ₱211

49.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$7.76 ₱496

-13.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.26 ₱144

82.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.50 ₱96.0

26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.27 ₱145

40.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.02 ₱65.0

120.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$1.63 ₱104

117.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.67 ₱107

109.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$0.62 ₱39.39

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.51 ₱32.60

121.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.87 ₱184

-9.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$8.55 ₱546

-8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$0.96 ₱61.1

34.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.94 ₱124

-0.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.20 ₱12.77

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$11.13 ₱711

405.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.77 ₱49.03

-15.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.24 ₱15.37

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.94 ₱124

-2.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$0.90 ₱57.7

42.22%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-1.97%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

1.39%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$136 ₱8,664

11.60%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$10.22 ₱653

52.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$22.48 ₱1,436

39.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$30.76 ₱1,966

73.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$4.94 ₱316

184.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$4.98 ₱318

44.98%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$130 ₱8,337

494.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$10.7K ₱685.9K

-31.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$28.90 ₱1,846

107.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$19.42 ₱1,241

90.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$54.4 ₱3,474

49.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$54.1 ₱3,458

86.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$226 ₱14.4K

266.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$176 ₱11.2K

143.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$460 ₱29.4K

367.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$327 ₱20.9K

299.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$2,599 ₱166.1K

119.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$1,133 ₱72.4K

214.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

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 Cauayan City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Cauayan City

$176 24.7% 59% $253

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Cauayan City

$172 24.1% 24.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Cauayan City

$168 23.6% 15.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Cauayan City

$71 9.9% 43.7% $55

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Cauayan City

$72 10% 41% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Cauayan City

$41 5.7% 39.8% $27

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Cauayan City

$14 2% 77.4% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Makati versus $226 in Cauayan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Makati versus $16 in Cauayan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $172 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Cauayan City

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

2,616

💱 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 Cauayan City 280 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 Cauayan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,230 in Makati, $713 in Cauayan City – Cauayan City comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Makati and $1,069 in Cauayan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cauayan City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $829 in Makati.

Kindergarten costs $776 per month in Makati and $130 in Cauayan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Makati, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Cauayan City, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Makati at $1,230. In Cauayan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Cauayan City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 42% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.