Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and General Trias

For one person, living is cheaper in General Trias: $618 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in General Trias
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General Trias Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

General Trias

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in General Trias

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

A single person spends $1,174 per month in Makati vs $618 in General Trias, rent included.

Makati $1,174
General Trias $618

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Makati vs $990 in General Trias, rent included.

Makati $1,962
General Trias $990

A family of three spends $2,750 per month in Makati vs $1,362 in General Trias, rent included.

Makati $2,750
General Trias $1,362

Makati costs about 90% more than General Trias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Makati and General Trias are more affordable than the global median – Makati 13% lower, General Trias 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱300

$4.00 ₱255

18.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,676

$16.20 ₱1,030

62.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱255

$2.45 ₱156

63.67%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$1.83 ₱117

34.43%

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

$1.05 ₱66.9

$0.40 ₱25.44

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.55

$0.30 ₱18.85

96.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.8

$1.01 ₱64.3

14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$1.51 ₱96.0

59.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.64 ₱104

13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.4

$1.15 ₱73.0

-2.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.6

$0.91 ₱58.0

8.79%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱140

$2.03 ₱129

8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱478

$4.79 ₱305

56.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱294

$3.39 ₱216

36.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱446

$7.61 ₱484

-7.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.19 ₱139

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.58 ₱101

20.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.29 ₱146

20.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.2

$1.01 ₱64.1

-12.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.5

$1.66 ₱106

-19.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.6

$1.70 ₱108

-18.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$0.87 ₱55.5

114.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱37.03

$0.52 ₱32.91

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱193

$2.94 ₱187

3.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱615

$8.42 ₱535

14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.7

$0.96 ₱61.3

30.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$2.06 ₱131

-2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.51

$0.24 ₱15.31

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,668

$12.30 ₱782

369.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.80

$0.76 ₱48.08

-1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.71

$0.20 ₱12.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.92 ₱122

2.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.8

$1.22 ₱77.9

2.46%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$11.6K ₱738.2K

80.19%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

1.06%

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

$111 ₱7,047

$31.73 ₱2,017

249.32%

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

$16.82 ₱1,070

$17.15 ₱1,091

-1.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,526

$20.95 ₱1,332

14.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,599

$31.30 ₱1,990

80.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱899

$5.25 ₱334

169.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱401

$5.01 ₱319

25.95%

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

$619 ₱39.4K

$129 ₱8,223

378.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱332.6K

$10.8K ₱689.4K

-51.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,523

$28.39 ₱1,805

95.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,991

$19.41 ₱1,234

61.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,451

$70.9 ₱4,506

-1.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,678

$55.8 ₱3,548

3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.1K

$95.0 ₱6,041

762.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$168 ₱10.7K

193.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱158.2K

$484 ₱30.8K

413.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.3K

$353 ₱22.4K

266.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱356.5K

$2,636 ₱167.6K

112.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱226.2K

$1,111 ₱70.7K

220.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.70%

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for General Trias: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

General Trias

$168 27.3% 66% $326

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

General Trias

$172 27.9% 15.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

General Trias

$70 11.3% 54% $82

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

General Trias

$72 11.7% 25.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

General Trias

$79 12.7% 18.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

General Trias

$41 6.7% 40.3% $28

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

General Trias

$15 2.4% 76% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $820 in Makati versus $95 in General Trias. 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 $26 in Makati versus $16 in General Trias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $172 – making General Trias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 General Trias

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

450,583

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Makati General Trias 24 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 General Trias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati costs about 90% more than General Trias, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,761 per month in Makati and $926 in General Trias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in General Trias, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $95 there versus $820 in Makati.

Public transport costs about 79% less in General Trias. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $619 per month in Makati and $129 in General Trias. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in General Trias, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Makati at $1,174. In General Trias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, General Trias is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.