Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Davao

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $839 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Davao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $839 in Davao.

Makati $1,230
Davao $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,275 in Davao.

Makati $2,137
Davao $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,712 in Davao.

Makati $3,044
Davao $1,712

Living in Makati is roughly 47% more expensive than in Davao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Davao 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱406

$4.71 ₱299

35.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,442

$26.33 ₱1,672

46.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱304

$3.83 ₱243

24.80%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$2.53 ₱161

2.37%

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

$1.09 ₱69.5

$1.06 ₱67.3

2.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.20

$0.62 ₱39.64

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.53 ₱97.0

56.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$2.38 ₱151

33.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.96 ₱125

-8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.3

$1.07 ₱68.0

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.5

$0.91 ₱57.9

13.19%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱150

$1.84 ₱117

28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱439

$6.41 ₱407

7.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱313

$4.59 ₱292

7.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱428

$8.97 ₱570

-24.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱261

$2.68 ₱170

53.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.06 ₱67.3

79.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱202

$2.43 ₱154

31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.14 ₱72.3

97.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱225

$1.99 ₱126

78.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱222

$3.35 ₱213

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.7

$1.24 ₱78.6

-13.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.5

$0.71 ₱45.03

59.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.46 ₱156

5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱499

$7.99 ₱507

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.1

$1.27 ₱80.5

1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.58 ₱100

22.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.1

$0.21 ₱13.33

319.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,573

$13.16 ₱836

327.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.34

$0.81 ₱51.4

-19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.29

$0.24 ₱15.32

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.83 ₱116

3.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.1

$1.22 ₱77.2

4.92%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-2.51%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.95%

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

$151 ₱9,611

$105 ₱6,661

44.27%

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

$15.59 ₱990

$19.14 ₱1,215

-18.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,993

$30.17 ₱1,916

4.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,383

$34.37 ₱2,183

54.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱892

$3.44 ₱218

308.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱458

$4.75 ₱302

52.00%

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

$776 ₱49.3K

$104 ₱6,623

643.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱469.4K

$7,536 ₱478.6K

-1.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,803

$61.0 ₱3,877

-1.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,347

$30.74 ₱1,952

20.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,146

$69.7 ₱4,425

16.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,407

$60.1 ₱3,816

67.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.6K

$350 ₱22.2K

136.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.2K

$229 ₱14.6K

87.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱136.6K

$723 ₱45.9K

197.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.1K

$404 ₱25.6K

224.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱362.9K

$1,584 ₱100.6K

260.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱226.6K

$1,364 ₱86.6K

161.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.3K

$207 ₱13.1K

183.51%

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 Davao: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Davao

$229 27.3% 46.5% $199

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Davao

$197 23.5% 13.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Davao

$154 18.4% 22.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Davao

$100 11.9% 20.5% $26

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Davao

$99 11.8% 18.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Davao

$44 5.2% 35.2% $24

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Davao

$16 1.9% 73.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $350 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $26 in Davao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $197 per month, with Davao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Davao

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

1,632,991

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Makati Davao 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Davao

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 Davao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Makati is about 2.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $829 in Makati versus $350 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Davao – a meal for two runs $26 versus $38 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,230 per month in Makati versus $839 in Davao – Davao is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $839 in Davao versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Davao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Makati, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Makati and Davao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Davao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.