Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and El Nido

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in El Nido

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

A single person spends $1,228 per month in Makati vs $739 in El Nido, rent included.

Makati $1,228
El Nido $739

A couple spends around $2,039 per month in Makati vs $1,148 in El Nido, rent included.

Makati $2,039
El Nido $1,148

A family of three spends $2,850 per month in Makati vs $1,557 in El Nido, rent included.

Makati $2,850
El Nido $1,557

Makati costs about 66% more than El Nido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makati and El Nido are more affordable than the global median – Makati 9% lower, El Nido 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 ₱405

$4.84 ₱305

33.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 ₱2,511

$28.13 ₱1,771

41.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱301

$3.70 ₱233

29.19%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ₱163

$2.25 ₱142

14.67%

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

$1.10 ₱69.3

$1.17 ₱73.8

-5.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.66

$0.32 ₱20.45

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ₱148

$1.30 ₱81.8

80.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₱197

$1.99 ₱125

57.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.59 ₱100

19.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱78.3

$1.00 ₱63.1

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.9

$1.29 ₱81.4

-21.71%

Eggs

$2.36 ₱149

$1.95 ₱123

21.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.01 ₱442

$5.33 ₱336

31.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱310

$3.98 ₱250

23.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.89 ₱434

$6.98 ₱439

-1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 ₱252

$2.25 ₱142

77.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.54 ₱97.1

26.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₱203

$2.26 ₱142

42.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.16 ₱72.8

97.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 ₱228

$1.95 ₱123

85.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.46 ₱218

$2.01 ₱127

72.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₱69.8

$0.92 ₱58.0

20.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱72.5

$0.53 ₱33.65

116.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 ₱168

$3.35 ₱211

-20.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₱497

$7.24 ₱456

8.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.4

$1.00 ₱62.9

33.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₱128

$1.87 ₱118

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ₱57.8

$0.24 ₱15.07

283.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 ₱3,539

$10.28 ₱648

446.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 ₱40.57

$0.85 ₱53.8

-24.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.20 ₱12.47

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱117

$1.72 ₱108

8.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.6

$1.31 ₱82.3

-3.82%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

9.22%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-12.31%

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

$153 ₱9,651

$121 ₱7,638

26.35%

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

$15.87 ₱999

$14.38 ₱906

10.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 ₱2,038

$24.44 ₱1,539

32.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 ₱3,430

$34.90 ₱2,197

56.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.33 ₱902

$3.99 ₱251

259.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ₱453

$5.23 ₱329

37.67%

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

$805 ₱50.7K

$124 ₱7,818

548.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,474 ₱470.6K

$6,869 ₱432.4K

8.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 ₱3,871

$33.86 ₱2,132

81.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 ₱2,291

$18.81 ₱1,185

93.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ₱5,112

$66.9 ₱4,211

21.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₱6,604

$49.95 ₱3,145

109.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ₱51.1K

$269 ₱17.0K

201.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$177 ₱11.2K

135.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 ₱145.4K

$535 ₱33.7K

331.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 ₱68.6K

$358 ₱22.5K

204.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,032 ₱379.8K

$2,607 ₱164.1K

131.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 ₱232.5K

$900 ₱56.7K

310.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 ₱38.0K

$257 ₱16.2K

135.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.79

10.46%

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

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

El Nido

$177 24% 57.5% $240

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$230 18.7%

El Nido

$174 23.6% 24.2% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$202 16.4%

El Nido

$160 21.7% 20.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$128 10.4%

El Nido

$76 10.3% 40.3% $52

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

El Nido

$93 12.6% 23.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

El Nido

$45 6.1% 34.2% $24

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5%

El Nido

$13 1.8% 78.7% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $811 in Makati versus $269 in El Nido. 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 135% 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 $40.00 in Makati versus $28.00 in El Nido. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $174 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 El Nido

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

50,494

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Makati El Nido 410 km

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Makati
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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 El Nido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,228 in Makati, $739 in El Nido – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,842 per month in Makati and $1,109 in El Nido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 447% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $805 per month in Makati and $124 in El Nido. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Makati at $1,228. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Makati has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $739 in El Nido to $1,228 in Makati. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with El Nido. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Makati makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.