Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Cavite

For one person, living is cheaper in Cavite: $564 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Cavite
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Cavite Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Cavite

🇵🇭 Philippines

$564

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Cavite

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

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Makati vs $564 in Cavite, rent included.

Makati $1,230
Cavite $564

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Makati vs $879 in Cavite, rent included.

Makati $2,137
Cavite $879

A family of three spends $3,044 per month in Makati vs $1,194 in Cavite, rent included.

Makati $3,044
Cavite $1,194

Makati costs about 118% more than Cavite, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makati and Cavite are more affordable than the global median – Makati 10% lower, Cavite 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$2.34 ₱149

173.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$15.86 ₱1,014

142.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.26 ₱144

111.50%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$1.77 ₱113

46.33%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.58 ₱37.32

87.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.33 ₱21.18

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$0.95 ₱60.5

151.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$1.54 ₱98.7

106.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.38 ₱88.1

30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.09 ₱69.6

15.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.89 ₱56.9

15.73%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.95 ₱125

21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$5.10 ₱326

35.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$3.40 ₱217

45.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$6.12 ₱391

10.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.03 ₱130

102.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.06 ₱67.7

79.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.34 ₱150

36.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.05 ₱67.4

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$1.66 ₱106

113.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.45 ₱92.4

141.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$0.49 ₱31.23

118.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.48 ₱30.64

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$1.99 ₱127

30.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$4.61 ₱295

70.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$0.92 ₱58.8

40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.27 ₱81.3

51.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$13.30 ₱850

323.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.65 ₱41.74

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.24 ₱15.36

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.93 ₱123

-1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.17 ₱74.5

9.40%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

1.17%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-1.93%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$88.2 ₱5,633

71.65%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$13.52 ₱864

15.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$23.40 ₱1,495

34.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$46.02 ₱2,940

15.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$5.03 ₱321

43.54%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$131 ₱8,387

491.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$10.6K ₱679.7K

-30.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$28.81 ₱1,840

107.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$19.03 ₱1,216

94.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$71.4 ₱4,563

13.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$54.4 ₱3,477

85.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$134 ₱8,555

519.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$81.0 ₱5,177

428.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$238 ₱15.2K

803.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$191 ₱12.2K

584.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

$222 ₱14.2K

164.59%

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 Cavite: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Cavite

$81 14.4% 81.1% $348

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Cavite

$150 26.6% 34.1% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Cavite

$125 22.2% 36.9% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Cavite

$78 13.9% 37.7% $47

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Cavite

$58 10.3% 52% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Cavite

$56 10% 17.2% $12

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Cavite

$15 * 2.7% 75.3% $46

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 $134 in Cavite. 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 2.6 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 Cavite. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $150 – making Cavite the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Cavite

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

100,674

💱 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 Cavite 15 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 Cavite: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Makati is pricier by about 118%, 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 $845 in Cavite. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cavite, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $829 in Makati.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,230 in Makati and $564 in Cavite. That makes Cavite about 54% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 76% less in Cavite. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cavite, where all-in costs run around $564, than in Makati at $1,230. In Cavite it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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