Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Cotabato City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $738 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
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Cotabato City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $738 in Cotabato City.

Makati $1,230
Cotabato City $738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,139 in Cotabato City.

Makati $2,137
Cotabato City $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,539 in Cotabato City.

Makati $3,044
Cotabato City $1,539

Living in Makati is roughly 67% more expensive than in Cotabato City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Cotabato City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$4.81 ₱307

33.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$16.14 ₱1,031

138.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$3.97 ₱254

20.40%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.17 ₱139

19.35%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$1.06 ₱67.6

2.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.62 ₱39.75

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.14 ₱73.1

109.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$2.08 ₱133

52.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$2.01 ₱128

-10.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.08 ₱68.8

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.75 ₱48.19

37.33%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.90 ₱121

24.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$6.44 ₱411

7.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$4.59 ₱293

7.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$9.44 ₱603

-28.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.76 ₱176

49.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.10 ₱70.0

72.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.40 ₱153

32.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.17 ₱74.7

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$1.97 ₱126

80.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$3.30 ₱211

6.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$1.24 ₱78.9

-13.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.66 ₱42.15

71.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.40 ₱154

8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$8.03 ₱513

-2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$1.27 ₱80.9

1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.64 ₱105

17.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.22 ₱13.98

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$11.32 ₱723

397.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.76 ₱48.30

-14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.22 ₱13.97

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.85 ₱118

2.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.10 ₱70.2

16.36%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.09%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

0.52%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$108 ₱6,875

40.65%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$18.43 ₱1,178

-15.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$30.97 ₱1,978

1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$30.96 ₱1,978

72.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$5.25 ₱335

167.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$4.73 ₱302

52.64%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$105 ₱6,684

641.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$7,282 ₱465.3K

1.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$32.48 ₱2,075

84.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$19.49 ₱1,246

89.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$69.5 ₱4,438

16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$60.5 ₱3,862

66.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$224 ₱14.3K

269.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$153 ₱9,753

180.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$447 ₱28.6K

380.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$333 ₱21.3K

292.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$2,692 ₱172.0K

112.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$1,003 ₱64.1K

255.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.31

-9.75%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Cotabato City

$153 20.7% 64.4% $276

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Cotabato City

$199 26.9% 12.5% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Cotabato City

$157 21.3% 20.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Cotabato City

$82 11.1% 34.7% $44

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Cotabato City

$93 12.6% 23.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Cotabato City

$40 5.5% 40.3% $27

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Cotabato City

$14 1.9% 77.2% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $224 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $16 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $199 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

325,079

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Makati Cotabato City 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Cotabato City

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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,845 in Makati and $1,107 in Cotabato City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $829 in Makati versus $224 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,230 per month in Makati versus $738 in Cotabato City – Cotabato City is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 80% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.