Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Iligan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $829 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Iligan City
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Iligan City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Iligan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,174 per month in Makati vs $829 in Iligan City, rent included.

Makati $1,174
Iligan City $829

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Makati vs $1,236 in Iligan City, rent included.

Makati $1,962
Iligan City $1,236

A family of three spends $2,750 per month in Makati vs $1,643 in Iligan City, rent included.

Makati $2,750
Iligan City $1,643

Makati costs about 42% more than Iligan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Makati and Iligan City are more affordable than the global median – Makati 13% lower, Iligan City 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱300

$3.64 ₱231

29.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,673

$19.92 ₱1,264

32.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱255

$3.38 ₱215

18.64%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$2.12 ₱134

16.04%

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

$1.05 ₱66.7

$0.68 ₱43.10

54.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.47

$0.39 ₱24.62

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.6

$1.27 ₱80.8

-8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$2.16 ₱137

11.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.76 ₱112

5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.2

$1.18 ₱75.0

-5.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.5

$0.95 ₱60.4

4.21%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱139

$1.84 ₱117

19.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱477

$4.89 ₱311

53.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱294

$4.71 ₱299

-1.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱445

$6.53 ₱414

7.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.16 ₱137

49.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.13 ₱135

-10.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.23 ₱142

23.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$1.05 ₱66.9

-16.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.3

$1.37 ₱86.9

-2.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.4

$1.31 ₱83.3

5.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$0.91 ₱57.9

105.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.95

$0.47 ₱30.08

23.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱192

$3.01 ₱191

0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱614

$7.60 ₱482

27.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$1.15 ₱73.0

8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.71 ₱108

17.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.41

$0.25 ₱15.97

204.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,660

$12.22 ₱775

372.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.70

$0.71 ₱45.09

5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.68

$0.20 ₱12.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.70 ₱108

15.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.6

$1.26 ₱80.0

-0.79%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$23.7K ₱1.5M

-11.88%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-9.10%

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

$111 ₱7,032

$107 ₱6,770

3.86%

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

$16.82 ₱1,067

$15.73 ₱998

6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,523

$26.59 ₱1,687

-9.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,591

$31.40 ₱1,992

80.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱897

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱400

$4.92 ₱312

28.25%

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

$619 ₱39.3K

$275 ₱17.5K

124.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱331.9K

$7,158 ₱454.1K

-26.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,515

$50.2 ₱3,183

10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,987

$24.55 ₱1,558

27.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,441

$72.2 ₱4,582

-3.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,670

$60.4 ₱3,834

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.0K

$111 ₱7,047

637.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$274 ₱17.4K

80.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱157.8K

$811 ₱51.5K

206.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.1K

$488 ₱31.0K

164.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱355.8K

$3,664 ₱232.4K

53.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱225.7K

$2,179 ₱138.2K

63.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

$198 ₱12.5K

164.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Iligan City

$274 33.1% 44.6% $220

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Iligan City

$177 21.3% 13% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Iligan City

$149 18% 1.7% $2.6

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Iligan City

$80 9.6% 17.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Iligan City

$93 11.3% 3.4% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Iligan City

$41 5% 40.4% $28

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Iligan City

$15 1.8% 76.1% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $820 in Makati versus $111 in Iligan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Makati are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Makati versus $20 in Iligan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $177 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Iligan City

🕒 Local time

05:00 5:00 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

342,618

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makati Iligan City 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Iligan 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 Iligan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,174 in Makati, $829 in Iligan City – Iligan City comes out roughly 29% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,761 per month in Makati and $1,244 in Iligan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iligan City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $111 there versus $820 in Makati.

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

Kindergarten costs $619 per month in Makati and $275 in Iligan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

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