Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and George

For one person, living is cheaper in George: $1,105 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
54

Cost of Living Index in George
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George Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

George

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in George

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $1,105 in George.

Makati $1,228
George $1,105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $1,834 in George.

Makati $2,028
George $1,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $2,563 in George.

Makati $2,828
George $2,563

Living in Makati is roughly 11% more expensive than in George, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, George 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$10.87 R 179

-42.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$41.26 R 680

-4.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$4.81 R 79.3

1.46%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$2.10 R 34.66

21.43%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.06 R 17.47

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.77 R 12.63

-35.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.72 R 44.76

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$3.20 R 52.8

0.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.13 R 18.55

68.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.04 R 17.20

24.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.43 R 23.63

-25.87%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$2.80 R 46.05

-11.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$8.36 R 138

-12.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$5.45 R 89.8

-10.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$6.66 R 110

5.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$1.61 R 26.49

150.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.47 R 24.19

31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$1.54 R 25.33

109.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.73 R 28.44

32.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$1.63 R 26.89

113.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$1.42 R 23.41

152.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.25 R 20.53

-15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.97 R 15.99

14.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$3.18 R 52.4

-15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$4.72 R 77.8

71.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.22 R 20.09

8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$1.73 R 28.48

14.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$1.54 R 25.37

-41.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$27.77 R 457

104.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$0.58 R 9.50

15.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$0.47 R 7.67

-55.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$8.38 R 138

-76.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.22 R 20.03

2.46%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$29.7K R 488.9K

-28.36%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$29.4K R 483.7K

-33.37%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$121 R 1,995

26.22%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$17.44 R 287

-7.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$45.19 R 745

-28.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$29.75 R 490

84.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$10.64 R 175

32.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$6.08 R 100

18.75%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$137 R 2,263

478.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$5,187 R 85.5K

41.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$71.5 R 1,177

-14.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$37.94 R 625

-2.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$112 R 1,845

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$85.8 R 1,413

20.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$422 R 6,956

92.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$365 R 6,010

14.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$773 R 12.7K

194.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$929 R 15.3K

15.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$871 R 14.4K

573.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$652 R 10.7K

472.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$1,364 R 22.5K

-55.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

10.92

-31.32%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for George: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

George

$365 33% 12.6% $53

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

George

$186 16.8% 19.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

George

$184 16.6% 8.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

George

$138 12.5% 8.6% $11

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

George

$154 13.9% 28.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

George

$42 3.8% 39.5% $27

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

George

$37 3.3% 40.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $422 in George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George pays 127% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Makati vs $41.00 in George. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $186, with George cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇿🇦 George

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

23:56 11:56 PM

6 h behind Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

188,580

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Makati George 11,680 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Makati
George

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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 127% lower in George. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $815 in Makati versus $422 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in George – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $40.00 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $1,105 in George – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,105 in George versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes George the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George 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 George are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.